The surgical process of extracting one or more wisdom teeth involves the removal of the four permanent adult teeth that are situated in the top and bottom rear corners of your mouth. You will probably need to have an impacted wisdom tooth extracted if it is causing you discomfort, an infection, or other dental issues because it does not have enough capacity to develop. An oral surgeon or a dentist will be needed to remove a wisdom tooth. In some cases, the tooth might need to be extracted as a prevention method before it causes any damage to the nearby teeth.
Firstly you should know that not everyone needs to have their wisdom teeth removed and they usually erupt between the ages of 17 to 25. This happens because the tooth does not have enough space to break the skin and emerge in a healthy way meaning that it will cause pain and move the other teeth which are located nearby. Removing the tooth before it causes damage will prevent this damage from happening and keep your teeth and mouth healthy and in place.
The surgery should be done by a specialized dentist or a surgeon. Furthermore, we will explain in detail how the process goes, what you should expect, and what the recovery process entails.
The final permanent teeth to erupt in the mouth are the wisdom teeth, sometimes known as third molars and this usually happens between the ages of 17 and 25. it is also very common that some individuals never get wisdom teeth and some others have wisdom teeth that emerge naturally and create no issues, much like their other molars did.
Wisdom teeth that don’t have enough room to erupt into the mouth or grow correctly are known as impacted teeth, and they affect many people. Wisdom teeth that are impacted may also partially or completely erupt. Once the wisdom teeth erupt incorrectly it can:
An impacted wisdom tooth will cause several problems some of which can be:
The benefits and drawbacks of removal-impacted wisdom teeth that are asymptomatic (not producing difficulties) vary across dentists. Predicting future issues with impacted wisdom teeth is challenging. Nonetheless, the following factors support preventive extraction:
Long-term problems are rare following wisdom teeth extractions. On occasion, though, extracting impacted wisdom teeth necessitates a surgical procedure that entails cutting a hole in the gum tissue and extracting bone. In rare cases, problems may include:
Either your dentist or a periodontal surgeon may be referred to you for the procedure. Your surgeon will advise you on how to be ready for the procedure and recuperate from it. They could also talk about the kind of anesthetic they plan to use and why. If they don’t tell you about it you can still ask just to be sure.
The number of teeth being extracted and the degree of impaction will determine how much the procedure of wisdom teeth removal will cost. After the surgery is done you will be advised to eat only soft foods like soups and liquid meals so keep this in mind before you get your surgery done.
During the consultations, your surgeon will give you directions on what to eat and drink before the surgery. However, these recommendations will vary depending on the type of anesthesia that needs to be used in your case. In severe cases when intravenous anesthesia is used you won’t be able to eat or drink for at least some hours prior to the surgery because if you eat you might feel nauseous and vomit.
We recommend our patients arrive at least 30 minutes before the surgery. This way you will have enough time to settle in feel comfortable and maybe even fill out some forms that we will provide to you. Sometimes it will also be advised to have some additional X-rays done.
The approximate time of the surgery will be like 50 minutes. Because the patient will be under the effect of anesthesia they won’t feel any type of pain and discomfort. Furthermore, we will explain the steps of the procedure in more detail:
After the procedure is done, the IV drip or nitrous oxide gas will be turned off, and you will be gently taken out of the effect of anesthesia. To prevent the formation of a blood clot in the affected region, the dentist will supply you with some gauze to bite on. You can have moderate side effects from the anesthesia right after surgery, such as nausea, feeling sick, and shivering.
After that, you’ll be sent to a recovery room under observation. You will be allowed to return home if a professional decides that your breathing is in a normal state and your condition is stable. Most likely you will spend less than an hour in the recovery room and after that, you will be sent home.
Following surgery, you may feel puffy and disoriented. Even while you might not feel much pain at first, it will most likely get worse as the anesthetic wears off over the course of the next few hours. However, the pain is manageable and you may also use antibiotics or painkillers to manage it.
For the first day after the surgery you should keep in mind to:
Although healing at the extraction site can take up to six weeks, most patients are able to return to their regular activities in one to two days. When it comes to driving you should wait for the anesthesia to completely wear off and if you take painkillers you most likely need to wait even longer.
Once you are ready to leave the clinic the dentist will give you the proper advice on how to take care of your teeth and mouth in the right way. He will also provide you with an extra gauze to prevent bleeding. If they don’t you can get a cotton pad, moisten it with water and place it over the bleeding area until the bleeding stops. However, be careful to not apply a lot of pressure on the treated area because it can make it worse.
Another great way to control the bleeding will also be by placing a wet tea bag in the treated wound for about 30 minutes. This can ease the bleeding pain because tea contains tannins that will help slow down the bleeding.
As we mentioned before you should try to avoid drinking alcohol because it will not only prolong the healing but will also interfere with the effect of prescription pain medications. Also, try to not do any strenuous physical activity for about 3-4 days because this may increase the pressure on the area which will make your gums bleed and the wound break open. Another thing to avoid is smoking. This will directly irritate the wound making bleeding worse and will prolong the healing process. In cases when the incision site is closed by dissolvable stitches, you won’t need to return to the dentist’s clinic but in cases when non-dissolvable stitches are used you need to return to the clinic in about 14 days after the surgery for them to be properly removed.
During the recovery process to ease the pain and minimize swelling, you can try putting cold compresses on the treated area or using pain killer medicine such as Tylenol and Advil. These practices have been proven to be very effective in these cases so you can give it a try. If you are having any difficulties with eating or sleeping you can try to place extra pillows behind your head. This way the blood flow will be reduced and the pain will be minimized.
In conclusion, you should know that wisdom teeth removal is a very common dental procedure and the success rate of it is very high. These teeth are located at the end of your mouth and they usually erupt during the ages of 17 to 25. The whole procedure will be done under the effect of general anesthesia so you won’t feel anything.
However, during the recovery phase, you may feel discomfort and pain but they will be easily managed. Keep in mind to eat soft foods, and avoid strenuous physical activity, alcohol, and cigarettes. Full recovery might take a while but most likely you will be able to return to work or school in about two days. If you notice any signs of excessive bleeding or signs of infection such as high five, chills, swelling, or discharge, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible and he will take care of it.
