Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom teeth refer to the third and the last molars found on every side of your lower and upper jaws. These are also the last set of teeth to erupt. You can expect them to come out once you reach your late teens or early 20’s. While the eruption of the wisdom teeth is essential, there are cases when they need to be removed. This happens in the case of wisdom teeth that come out crooked or those that only partially emerged.
If you are suffering from either of the mentioned cases, then you will most likely experience painful crowding, and other dental problems. This makes it necessary for you to undergo wisdom tooth extraction. However, before undergoing the procedure, you need to gather as much information as you can about it, so you will know exactly what to expect.
Reasons to Undergo Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Your wisdom tooth needs to be removed to correct an existing dental problem or prevent future problems. It is necessary if you experience any of the following:
1. Your jaw is not large enough to support their growth. This can lead to impacted wisdom teeth, making them incapable of breaking through your gums.
2. The wisdom teeth break halfway through your gums. When this happens, a flap of gum tissues will develop. This causes bacteria and foods to get trapped beneath the flap. If left untreated, it can trigger painful, swollen and red gums, further leading to infections.
3. The tooth is impacted, causing the development of more chronic dental problems like infection, cyst, and tooth and bone damage.
4. The teeth erupted in awkward positions.
What to Expect During the Procedure?
You will need to undergo the procedure in the clinic of your chosen oral surgeon. It is advisable, however, to have it in a hospital if there is a need to pull all your wisdom teeth at once. Your oral surgeon will use an anesthesia to numb you from the pain. He can choose from local, sedation or general anesthesia, depending on how complex the procedure will be, as well as your pain tolerance and comfort level.
After administering the anesthesia, the oral surgeon will cut through your gum tissue as a means of exposing the bone and tooth. He then needs to get rid of the bone, which blocks the tooth root.
The tooth is then divided into sections. This will allow your oral surgeon to remove it in pieces. He can then move on to removing the tooth, then cleaning the affected area by removing all debris. The final steps in the tooth extraction process involve stitching the incision, and placing a gauze over the site. This will start the healing process, prevent bleeding and stimulate the formation of blood clot.
Recovery
The recovery period usually takes a few days. There are even cases when you will still encounter discomfort and swelling even after one week. In this case, you need to have ice packs ready to help you deal with the pain and swelling. You should also stock up on soft foods, and clean your mouth using saltwater.
It is advisable to contact your oral surgeon right after you notice unusual symptoms or side effects, like severe pain, fever or pus discharge. You should also avoid doing heavy stuff for a few days after the treatment. This will let you recover faster.