Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to develop in a growing teenager or young adult. Unfortunately, most people’s mouths do not have enough room for these to fit as they come in. As a result, wisdom teeth can often push against the other teeth and cause a misalignment in someone’s bite.
Americans commonly have an oral surgeon remove their wisdom teeth before they fully grow. This is typically a preventative procedure, which is why the majority of such extractions are done in the late teen years. One can have their wisdom teeth taken out later in adulthood too, but at this point the surgery can be a bit more invasive and take longer to heal from.
People who visit Wilmington Oral Surgery about wisdom teeth issues often have many questions. Having served their region for over 20 years, the Wilmington Oral team’s knowledge base on this subject is very well developed! Below guidance is provided on all a patient needs to know about wisdom teeth, addressing any concerns that may come up along the way.
Why Wisdom Teeth Extractions Are Recommended
Wisdom teeth will typically show themselves just a bit as they start to surface through the gums. This is when someone can tell it is a good time to schedule a wisdom tooth removal. In order to prevent these teeth from moving other teeth in the mouth around, it is wise to remove them as quickly as possible after they are first noticed.
Wisdom teeth, even when they have room to come in, are so far back in the mouth that they are difficult to adequately care for. As such, it can be easy to get cavities, abscesses and other decay-related oral health issues around wisdom teeth if they are left inside. Molars also still have potential to disrupt one’s bite in such cases.
Because the removal surgery is so minor, potential advantages of having the wisdom teeth taken out trump the possible complications of choosing not to. Once problems do occur, the resulting detrimental effects are typically irreversible.
When A Wisdom Tooth Is Impacted…
A wisdom tooth is considered to be impacted when it is not completely visible in the mouth. There are a number of impacted positions for these teeth, and the level of impaction can be diagnosed and discussed during a consultation with a dentist. Wilmington Oral Surgery’s office here near Cincinnati, Ohio has appointment options available five days a week.
In an adult mouth, impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems like infection, cavities, bone loss, damage to adjacent teeth, and potential cyst formation. All of these issues pose risks to the health of one’s teeth as well as the jaw bone. In more complicated cases, damage may even result in boney material needing to be replenished. In this case, a dental bone graft will need done, along with the wisdom tooth extraction procedure to help the jaw heal.
Getting Your Personal Consultation
In a consultation with each patient, oral surgeon Dr. Scott Puckett will perform an examination and review x-rays. During the process, one has the opportunity to interact directly with the surgeon and the staff, rather than merely viewing the video content some offices may use.
Dr. Puckett firmly believes that everyone deserves personal attention and the ability to have all of their questions answered in person. He will go over the details of the extraction procedure in depth, and cover what one can expect during the healing process following the operation.
The Typical Surgery and Recovery Experience
The surgery is performed at the Wilmington office. Everyone is given the choice of using oral sedation, IV sedation or general anesthesia. This is in order to induce a more pain-free dental surgery. The patient’s safety and comfort are a priority during the extraction procedure, which routinely takes less than an hour of time. Each patient will be asked to bring someone along to drive them home, as it is normal to experience grogginess afterwards.
Recovery from a wisdom teeth removal surgery usually takes from four days to a week. Complications are rare if one follows proper recovery instructions. The most common complication, dry sockets, can generally be prevented.
It is important during recovery not to use a straw, to smoke, or to spit. One also must keep their head elevated. This is because the body creates a blood clot at the sites of the wisdom teeth extractions to protect the area while it heals. Suction, exertion, crunchy foods and tobacco can all disrupt the blood clot, leaving one susceptible to dry socket and infection.
If a patient rests properly, takes pain medications as directed, and sticks to eating a soft food diet for a few days, no follow-up appointments should be necessary.
A Respectable Local Solution
Some readers may have further questions about wisdom tooth removals or be looking to have a consultation. If either is the case, feel more than welcome to call our local partner, Wilmington Oral Surgery, anytime. The option is also available to use their online form to schedule a personal meeting with the surgeon himself.
Wilmington Oral Surgery has been extracting wisdom teeth for decades, consistently producing excellent results. They have established a fabulous reputation here in the Wilmington, Ohio area, with numerous positive online reviews. Their team is always happy to see how they may be able to further serve anyone interested!