Wisdom Tooth Extractions

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Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Wisdom tooth extraction — is a common oral surgery procedure. Dentists may recommend this treatment to preserve ones oral health and protect other teeth from possible issues in the future.

Your wisdom teeth — also called third molars — are in the very back of your mouth. Typically, they erupt sometime between the ages of 17 and 25.

Scientists believe wisdom teeth are vestigial structures. Our ancestors needed these teeth to crush and chew raw leaves, nuts, roots and meat. Today, we eat more cooked food and use forks and knives to cut our food up into smaller pieces. As a result, we don’t need wisdom teeth anymore.

Some people have all four wisdom teeth (one in each quadrant — the upper left, lower left, upper right and lower right). Others may have one, two, three or none at all. No matter how many wisdom teeth you do (or don’t) have, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. It’s just a variation of normal and a sign of the ever-changing evolutionary process.

Why wisdom tooth are extracted?

You might need wisdom tooth extracted if you:

Have one or more impacted wisdom teeth.

Have wisdom teeth that grew in crooked or sideways.

Develop pain near the back of your mouth.

Trap food and debris around your wisdom teeth.

Develop gum disease, particularly around your molars.

Have tooth decay (cavities) in a partially erupted wisdom tooth.

Develop a cyst (fluid-filled sac) around one or more wisdom teeth.

What happens during wisdom tooth extraction?

The day of your procedure, your surgeon will:

Give you anesthesia to numb your teeth and gums and keep you comfortable. (If you choose sedation, they’ll give you sedative medications, as well.)

Make incisions in your gums, if necessary, to expose teeth trapped in your gums or jawbone.

Carefully loosen your wisdom tooth and lift it from its socket. (They may need to divide your tooth into sections for easier removal.)

Clean the area to make sure there’s no infection.

Place stitches to close the surgical site, if necessary.

What are the benefits of wisdom tooth extraction?

Wisdom tooth removal can reduce your risk for future oral health problems, like:

Gum disease.

Tooth decay.

Damage to neighboring teeth.

Bone loss.

Jaw damage.

If you’ve already developed pain because of your wisdom teeth, then extraction can often ease discomfort almost immediately and get you back on track to better oral health.

What are the risks or complications of wisdom tooth extraction?

Wisdom teeth removal usually doesn’t result in long-term complications. In rare instances, people may develop:

Infection (pus coming out of your socket or incisions).

Dry sockets (loss of blood clot resulting in exposed bone).

Damage to other oral structures, including your jawbone, nerves, sinuses or nearby teeth.

Dos and don’ts after wisdom tooth extraction

Your surgeon will give you postoperative guidelines specific for situation. Following these instructions will help you manage bleeding, swelling and pain after your procedure.

Do's

Leave gauze in place for about 30 minutes after your surgery

Replace with clean gauze if necessary. Your surgeon can tell you when to stop using gauze after wisdom tooth extraction. But in general, you can take it out when the bleeding slows. It’s normal to have some oozing, but you shouldn’t have excessive bleeding.

Rest as much as you can

You should stay at home and recover for at least three to five days. If you have a physically demanding job, you might need to wait longer before returning to work.

Use an ice pack to help reduce swelling

Wrap the ice pack in a clean towel and place it on your face. Leave it on for 20 minutes, and then take it off for 20 minutes. Repeat several times a day.

Keep extraction sites clean

Gently soak the surgical areas with alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash. Don’t swish. Swishing can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets, a painful condition that exposes the bone at your extraction site. Instead, lean your head to each side and let the mouthwash soak the areas.

Brush and floss the rest of your teeth every day

While you don’t want to brush over the extraction sites, you’ll still need to keep your other teeth clean during recovery. This reduces your risk for infection.

Take all medications as prescribed

Your surgeon will give you medications to keep you comfortable and reduce your risk of infection. Don’t stop taking these medications until your surgeon says it’s OK.

Don't

Drink through a straw

This dislodges blood clots and causes dry sockets.

Exercise until your surgeon says it’s OK

Getting your heart rate up increases your risk for pain, bleeding and swelling. Most people can resume their fitness routines in about 48 to 72 hours.

Lift heavy things

Heavy lifting also increases your risk for postoperative complications like pain, bleeding and swelling.

Eat hard, crunchy or chewy foods

These can damage your healing gums and cause pain.

Drink carbonated beverages or beverages containing alcohol

These beverages can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets. Skip these drinks for at least five days.