The removal of wisdom teeth is one of the most common dental procedures. These teeth, often referred to as ‘third molars’ grow at the back of the gums. They are the last teeth to come through and typically do not present until late adolescence or adulthood. The majority of people will have four wisdom teeth- two on the top and two on the bottom- though not all of them may pop through the gums. Because they emerge after all of the other adult teeth have solidified their positions, there is typically not enough room for them in the mouth, which can cause the other teeth to move. Furthermore, because of this lack of space, the wisdom teeth almost always grow out in jutted angles or only partially emerge.
If you begin to feel pain or discomfort in the gum areas at the back of the mouth, seek out consultation with our dentist for an examination. After visual analysis as well as a digital X-ray, he/she will be able to have a more accurate picture of the positioning of your teeth and will be able to determine whether the wisdom teeth need to be removed. Oftentimes, removal will not be necessary. If they aren’t causing problems to the surrounding teeth, they can be left to grow on their own. However, sometimes leaving wisdom teeth in can lead to complications, in which case they warrant removal. When they emerge at strange angles, food and bacteria can easily become trapped around the crevices and edges, which can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, bacterial infection, and/or the development of a pus-filled abscess. These risks, in addition to pain and discomfort, will lead your dentist to recommending that you undergo a removal procedure.
Before the removal surgery, our dentist will give you a local anaesthetic injection in order to numb the area. Gas may also be utilized in order to relax you. The dentist will create a small cut in the gum in order to wide the tooth socket. Then, he/she will begin rocking the tooth back and forth, loosening it for removal. The length of the treatment procedure will depend on how easily the tooth or teeth come out.
After removal, you will experience discomfort and swelling for the first few days. Bruising sometimes occurs, as well. You will be put on a diet of soft foods while the open wounds heal, but you will typically be back to normal within two weeks.
