At some point in their life, most Americans will have to have their wisdom teeth removed. The wisdom tooth removal is an important procedure because it will prevent gum disease or other infections down the line. These teeth which are the third set of molars at the back of our mouths are often too big for our jaws and make our teeth crowded. This can produce pain and discomfort for weeks or months.
Your dentist wants to make sure your mouth is at the healthiest it can be. Even if your wisdom teeth do not crowd your other teeth or cause problems with your gums, your dentist will still probably recommend removing your wisdom teeth at some point in order to prevent anything going wrong in the future.
The first step to your procedure will be to have an x-ray. Your dentist will want to see where your wisdom teeth are positioned and how much room you have. If he sees trouble in the future, he will likely schedule an appointment with you for the procedure.
Thanks to modern medicine, the procedure will be pain-free. You will have the option to remain awake but be put under local anesthesia or to be put to sleep through general anesthesia. What you will receive depends on how nervous you are about the procedure and if the dentist thinks that your surgery will be extensive.
During the procedure, the oral surgeon will loosen up the connective tissue around your gums to get to the wisdom teeth. Then he will use a tool to cut the wisdom tooth in half so it is easier to extract. After the full tooth has been removed, the oral surgeon will stitch up the gums and put gauze on the wounds in order to prevent clotting.
Unfortunately, the recovery process can be the most painful part of a wisdom tooth removal procedure. If you removed them in the early stages of impaction, the soreness will likely go away in about a week. Typical symptoms of the healing process include, some swelling and bleeding, although both will subside in a few days as long as you apply ice to your cheeks and regularly change your gauze 30 minutes after your procedure. As long as you don’t have any complications such as dry sockets, you will have a quick recovery.
Dry sockets happen when the clot over the wound becomes unattached and exposes bone and nerves. In order to avoid dry sockets, make sure to avoid using straws or cleaning your teeth too hard after surgery. It is important to drink lukewarm drinks and eat soft foods in the first few days of your recovery. Make sure to take a week off of work in order to ensure a full recovery.
It is important to try to get your wisdom teeth removal surgery done as early as possible. However, if you are older than the suggested age (17-25) and are not sure if you need it because you haven’t been experiencing any problems, get an appointment with your local dentist just to be certain.
Everything You Need to Know About Wisdom Tooth Removal
