What You Need to Know about Wisdom Teeth Removal

Posted on: 29 November 2016

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Evolution does not appear to have been a friend when it comes to the development of wisdom teeth. These four teeth, two in the upper jaw and two on the lower, are supposed to break through the skin during late adolescence. However, for many people this doesn't happen properly, and in most cases, they simply need to be removed. What can you expect during this procedure?

Are they Impacted?

While wisdom teeth appear to be superfluous to your needs, the good news is that their extraction represents one of the more common dental procedures in Australia. The only potential complication happens should they be misaligned for some reason. Sometimes these wisdom teeth develop and grow in an unusual direction, perhaps angled outward or inward or toward your existing back teeth (second molars). In this case, they can cause issues with bacteria or can sometimes trap food particles and debris leading to decay. If teeth are impacted, the procedure will be a little more involved.

First Things First

The first step is to get a complete set of X-rays and a full inspection by your dentist. The dentist will advise you about the best procedure to follow. Sometimes a more involved process will include removal of a small portion of bone that may be getting in the way and making it more difficult for the tooth to be removed. In situations like this, it is also fairly usual to use a special technique called ultrasound in order to break the tooth into smaller portions for ease of removal.

While the tooth removal is often done under local anaesthetic, depending on the severity of the case and procedure, it may sometimes be done under general anaesthetic.

Post Procedure

Following the procedure, it's not unusual for you to encounter some bleeding for a couple of hours. This is easily controlled by using a special gauze which is placed over the area and kept under pressure by biting down for half an hour or so. You may also experience some swelling in the area which can be tackled by applying some ice wrapped up in a cloth for a few minutes at a time. Over-the-counter medicines can help to deal with any lingering pain and your dentist may or may not recommend that you take some antibiotics if there was any infection in place at the time.You also might need to go into the dentist for check ups if the extraction sites aren't healing properly.