Wisdom Teeth Removal

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth, or your third molars, typically emerge in your late teens or early twenties, years after your other adult teeth grow into place. 

Most people have 4 wisdom teeth:  one on the upper right side, one on the lower right side, one on the upper left side, and one on the lower left side. But some people only have a few wisdom teeth that come in, and others don’t end up having any wisdom teeth at all. 

Why do wisdom teeth need to be removed?

If your wisdom teeth begin to grow in, there may not be enough room in your jaw to accommodate this last set of molars. This means that as your wisdom teeth erupt from your gums, they can push your other teeth closer together. 

This can cause overcrowding, leading to poorly positioned and overlapping teeth. Not only does this make it harder for you to keep your teeth clean, but it can interfere with your bite — the way your teeth meet when you close your mouth.

When there’s not enough room in your jaw for your wisdom teeth, they can also become impacted, or stuck. This means your wisdom teeth emerge at an incorrect angle or only partly emerge, which could lead to infection, damage to other teeth, and cysts or tumors.

What happens during wisdom teeth removal?

Your dentist at SPA Dental Group typically removes wisdom teeth using one of two methods. 

The first method is a simple extraction. They thoroughly numb your teeth and the surrounding tissue then use special tools to loosen the tooth and pull it from its socket. If you are anxious about the procedure or are very sensitive, they offer sedation to keep you relaxed throughout the extraction.

If your tooth is severely impacted and can’t be wiggled loose, your dentist uses a surgical procedure to remove the tooth. When this is the case, your dentist gives you a sedative and injects a local anesthetic to keep you relaxed and comfortable throughout the procedure. 

They use dental surgical tools to break the tooth into smaller pieces and make small incisions in your gums to remove the tooth.

What happens after wisdom teeth removal?

After your extraction, you will need a friend or family member to drive you home, and you’ll need to rest. Your dentist packs your sockets with gauze, which needs to stay in place for up to 48 hours after your extraction. You can replace the gauze when it becomes saturated.

For the next few days following the procedure, you should only consume soft foods that don’t require chewing. Avoid using a straw, as the sucking action can prolong bleeding. You can brush your teeth, but do so gently and take extra care around the extraction site. Rinse with a warm saltwater solution instead of an over-the-counter mouthwash. 

If you’re experiencing wisdom teeth pain and may need an extraction, call SPA Dental Group Today or book an appointment online.