If you’ve seen videos of people acting weird or loopy after having their wisdom teeth removed, they may have been under some kind of anesthesia. While it’s normal to feel a little loopy after wisdom teeth removal, the cause is often a combination of anesthesia, medications and your body’s natural response. Fortunately, these kinds of effects are not usually serious.
The most common cause of feeling loopy after wisdom teeth removal is residual anesthesia from the surgery. This anesthesia can last for a few hours, but it will usually wear off by the time you are getting ready to go home from the procedure. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to have a designated driver or someone who will take you home after the procedure.
Other causes of feeling loopy after wisdom teeth removal include pain medication or narcotics. These types of drugs have similar side effects to anesthesia and can cause confusion, memory lapses and alterations in perception. This is typically only a problem when the dosage of these drugs is very high, and it’s not something you will encounter on a routine basis.
Finally, it’s also possible that the feelings of dizziness or grogginess are a result of your body’s reaction to standing up after lying down for a long period of time. This is called orthostatic hypotension and can be exacerbated if you don’t drink enough fluids after the surgery. The best way to combat these symptoms is to get plenty of rest and eat a diet of soft foods that will help you feel more alert.