What You Should Know About Wisdom Teeth Removal

Posted on: 4 February 2019

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Wisdom teeth are the final set of four teeth that a person grows in their late teens or early twenties. If the growth and positioning of wisdom teeth are right, then there are no problems. In fact, in this case, they are an asset to the oral cavity and its function in the digestive system. On the other hand, if a wisdom tooth is not rightly placed, it has to be removed because this misplacement might damage the other teeth, the jaw, and nerves and cause infection.

How Do You Know If Your Wisdom Teeth Have Grown?

If they have grown in the surface, then you should have 32 teeth. At times, wisdom teeth may grow inside the gums and not be visible. This is why it is recommended to have an oral X-ray around the ages of 18 and 21.

Extraction Of Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth removal is a procedure most commonly done by surgeons as it requires the opening of the gums and stitching the area afterwards. There are cases in which the tooth is mostly on the surface, and your dentist can do the procedure.  

After numbing the area around your tooth with anesthetics, the dentist will start by loosening the tooth with a dental tool called an elevator. After loosening the tooth, your dentist will remove it with a plier-like tool called a dental forceps. When the removal procedure is finished, the dentist will clean out the area and apply gauze to stop the bleeding.

In the case that your tooth is deep into the gum, your dentist, after seeing the X-ray, will recommend you to a surgeon that will do the removal procedure.

The surgeon will also start by numbing your mouth but will use a stronger medicine. This also depends on how many of your wisdom teeth are going to be removed. If you have to remove all four of them, you might be put to sleep. In this procedure, the surgeon will cut open the gum and extract the tooth from there. Sometimes it is necessary to cut the tooth in pieces to extract it. After the extraction, the surgeon will stitch up the area. You might need a follow-up to remove the stitches depending on the kind that the surgeon used. Usually, they use stitches that dissolve by themselves.

What Should You Expect After?

Because of the anesthesia, you might be a little groggy and will definitely need a ride home. You will experience pain, which is very normal, and according to your pain tolerance, you might need painkillers, which will be prescribed by the surgeon. You should be able to continue brushing your teeth a full day after the surgery.

Symptoms like swelling can be solved by keeping an ice pack against the area where the tooth used to be. You might also experience minor bleeding. For about a week, you might not be able to open your mouth fully. You should stick to soft foods and avoid alcohol, hot beverages, and sodas.

After the procedure, some people experience problems that need to be checked up on. If you have a fever, the pain lasts for more than a week and you bleed for more than a couple of days, then you should see your doctor.