Wisdom Teeth Extraction
The wisdom teeth are your third molars and they are the last set of permanent teeth to come out. Most people develop wisdom teeth between the ages of 17-25 while there are a few who are lucky enough to never have any.
There are people whose wisdom teeth grow normally, similar to the rest of the teeth in their mouth. However, there are also those whose wisdom teeth don’t erupt normally. Theirs may be impacted, which means that it grows at an angle leaning towards the second molar. Sometimes it grows at an angle that leans backwards or is lying down towards the jawbone.
If your wisdom teeth are impacted, you will likely experience pain. But that’s not all. Impacted teeth lead to trapped food and debris in the affected teeth which in turn leads to tooth decay. It could also damage the nearby teeth. Some people even develop cysts around the wisdom tooth due to the buildup of bacteria.
Know more about wisdom teeth extraction
What Can You Do If You Have Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
W have many patients who have impacted wisdom teeth. We usually take an X-ray of their mouth to determine the severity of the impaction before we decide on which course to take.
Once it’s determined that extraction is the best thing to do, we will give local anesthesia which will be administered via injection. If you’re anxious, we can give you a sedative so you can relax. Extraction of wisdom teeth may require a small incision in the gum if the tooth hasn’t fully come out. We may also need to cut the tooth into smaller pieces so it’ll be easier to remove.
During the procedure, you may experience some pressure but this is only because we need to widen the socket of the tooth by rocking it back and forth. The removal is not really painful because we will apply a numbing solution. But should you feel any pain, please don’t hesitate to inform us so we can provide additional anesthetic.
Most wisdom tooth extractions take no more than a few minutes however it can take up to 30 minutes or more depending on how complicated it is.
Dentists often disagree on whether impacted wisdom teeth should be taken out especially if it’s not causing any problems. However, preventive extraction does have benefits such as avoiding future infections and better oral hygiene since it’s really difficult to clean impacted teeth at the back of your mouth.
