Is It Safe to Get a Tattoo Before Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Tattoos have become a common form of body art and self-expression. But getting a tattoo might get tricky if you are scheduled for a wisdom teeth removal appointment. You might wonder, “can I get a tattoo before wisdom teeth removal?”
Unfortunately, you can’t get a tattoo right before your wisdom teeth removal procedure. Getting wisdom teeth extracted requires oral surgery, and this might cause your body to disrupt the healing process of your new tattoo.
To know about this in detail, read the article right now!
Understanding Wisdom Teeth Removal: a Surgical Procedure
According to Mayo Clinic, wisdom teeth are the 4 permanent adult teeth that locate at the top and bottom back corners of your mouth. A wisdom tooth removal is a surgical operation to extract one or more wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth extraction is one dental operation where the patient is in danger of acquiring an infection. Thus, the dental expert performing the procedure needs to plan beforehand.
Antibiotics are occasionally necessary to prevent infections from developing after they have already started, but they may also be recommended as part of preventive therapy in certain situations.
If precautions are not taken, then a condition known as dry socket might occur as well as infections can happen, according to the Dental Group of Simi Valley.
Both of these problems are real dangers that affect the patient’s ability to recover from tooth extraction—a factor that should be tried to be under control. Infections should never be acquired because they might cause major health issues.
Getting A Tattoo Before Wisdom Teeth Removal – Risky or Safe?
So, the main question that you must address remains the same that is, can you get a tattoo before wisdom teeth surgery?
The shortest answer should be, no. Getting a tattoo right before your wisdom teeth removal is risky.
Tattoos typically take 4-6 weeks to heal completely. Swelling and redness are typical reactions to the trauma as well as the ink, but if they go worse, they could be signs of a staph infection.
There is a strong likelihood that the skin is infected if it gets itchy and red and develops a rash with pustules.
Additionally, although staph infections are typically curable, germs have grown more resilient and are now resistant to conventional antibiotics.
You would like to ensure that you’re as fit as possible before having the surgery to remove your wisdom teeth. You are more likely to experience post-surgical issues if your body is already experiencing stress due to a recent tattoo.
Moreover, after your wisdom teeth removal, it is highly likely that the dentist will prescribe you antibiotics. It is not feasible to get a tattoo while taking antibiotics, according to Angela Koscal. Since your body is currently battling an infection, you run the risk of picking up new infections.
In the same way, antibiotics drive away foreign antibodies; tattoo pigment does the same. The tattoo won’t heal properly while you’re taking antibiotics.
It is safest to wait till after your wisdom teeth removal for this reason. In addition, tattoos can cause serious infections in some ways:
- Unsanitary methods
- Tools and needles that haven’t been sterile
- Ink that has been tainted with germs or mold
- use of non-sterile water to thin out pigments.
How Long After Oral Surgery Can You Get A Tattoo?
The average recovery time following wisdom tooth removal is 3 to 4 days. It can take a whole week to recuperate if your teeth were jammed or irregularly positioned when they first came in.
So, you can get a tattoo after getting your wisdom teeth extraction, but only when the wound has healed up.
You can still get infected weeks after surgery since the surgical wound won’t heal entirely for several months. Take care of yourself, and be alert for any warning signals.
Hence, after the wound left behind by the oral surgery fully heals up and eliminates any chance of infection, you will be safe to get a tattoo.
Recovery Time For Different Surgeries
At this point, you know, you can’t get a tattoo before going through a surgical procedure.
Let’s look at the table below to know how much time it takes to recover from various surgical procedures, according to Health Grades.
| Surgical Procedure | Recovery Time |
| Cataract Surgery | 8 weeks |
| Cesarean Section | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Inguinal Hernia Repair | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Total Knee Replacement | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Total Hip Replacement | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Hysterectomy | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Coronary Artery Bypass Graft | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Cholecystectomy | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Tonsillectomy | 10 days to 2 weeks |
| Appendectomy | 1 to 3 weeks |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do antibiotics affect new tattoos?
Antibiotic use cannot cooperate with getting a tattoo. You run the chance of catching further infections because your body is already working to fight off an infection. The very same foreign antibodies that tattoo pigment is being driven out by antibiotics. If you are taking antibiotics, your tattoo won’t heal properly.
Why do they ask if you have tattoos before surgery?
The main issue with having a tattoo just before surgery is infection. Since the immune system will be under stress from combating an infection, other surgical procedures may take longer to heal.
Can a tattoo heal in a week?
Within a few days, a tattoo could appear healed. However, it’s crucial to maintain consistency with aftercare because the healing process may take up to 6 months.
Conclusion
Thank you for making it this far. Getting a tattoo is very exciting but you should not make yourself vulnerable to infections in order to get a tattoo. Make sure to be in good condition before you sit to get your tattoo.
