The modern-day dental patient is subject to a uniquely high number of surgeries, including but not limited to root canals and tooth replacement. As many as one in two Americans will experience the need for wisdom teeth extraction at some point during their lifetime. While this procedure has been perfected over time, there are still concerns about comfort, recovery times, and potential complications. Despite the prevalence of wisdom teeth extraction, little has been written about this surgery in popular online publications. If you have wisdom teeth causing problems, you should talk to a Mesa wisdom teeth extractions specialist.
What Are Wisdom Teeth Extractions?
It’s a surgical procedure where the surgeon removes wisdom teeth from a person’s mouth. This may be necessary when overcrowding or impaction occurs, causing pain and other complications for the patient. Wisdom teeth typically appear during a person’s teens between 16 and 24 – but they can emerge as early as pre-adolescence. However, there are times when this surgery is carried out on younger children who have wisdom teeth appearing underneath their gums or in the upper palate.
What Complications Are Associated With Wisdom Teeth?
Several potential complications are associated with wisdom teeth. For instance, the most common complication is swelling or inflammation that can cause pain and discomfort for days to weeks after the surgery has been completed. Wisdom teeth extractions also happen to be one of the leading causes of dry sockets, a painful and sometimes even dangerous condition that results when the blood clot fails to form in the extraction area.
How Do You Know You Need Wisdom Teeth Extractions?
Since wisdom teeth typically emerge between 16 to 24, symptoms are not always noticeable. However, suppose you notice swelling or persistent pain in your gums or jawbone during this window. In that case, especially if it’s accompanied by fever and bad breath, you may need surgery to extract these impacted teeth.
You may also need wisdom teeth extractions if you have overcrowding in your mouth, forcing other teeth to shift into undesirable angles. This can cause pain when chewing, speaking, or swallowing food.
The position of your wisdom teeth can also be the source of dental/jaw problems. Your dentist may recommend extracting these teeth as a preventative measure against future tooth damage or other oral health issues if this happens.
What to Expect During Wisdom Teeth extractions?
Although anesthesia is administered to numb your mouth during the surgery, you may experience discomfort after the procedure. For the first day or two, you should avoid chewing on that side of your mouth; instead, stick to a liquid diet until swelling and pain have subsided. You might also be given antibiotics to prevent infection from developing in the extraction area.
After this initial recovery period, you should be able to return to your usual diet within a week. Since the extraction site has been numbed during the surgery, you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort while eating or drinking.
In summary, wisdom teeth extractions are a surgical procedure where a dentist removes wisdom teeth from your mouth. Wisdom teeth often cause overcrowding, swelling, pain, tooth misalignment, and jaw damage. If your wisdom teeth cause pain, overcrowding, or affect other teeth, you may need the treatment. During treatment, your dentist will administer local anesthesia to reduce pain. You should recover completely within a week.
