Do you need a wisdom tooth extraction? Adults normally have 2 sets of molar teeth. However, people get the 3rd and final set of molar teeth, known as wisdom tooth, late in their adulthood. Sometimes, the wisdom tooth emerges properly, is completely aligned, and causes no pain. It is an extremely rare situation but it happens nonetheless. The rest of the time, people have to get a wisdom tooth extraction.
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A wisdom tooth extraction happens when the wisdom tooth erupts so late that all the other teeth are fully developed, permanent and compactly positioned. This causes a space shortage which leads to the tooth growing improperly as compared to the rest. The wisdom tooth can grow partially or in angle that causes damage to the neighboring teeth, nerves and gums surrounding. Form your early twenties; you can easily see the position of your wisdom tooth on an x-ray.
Why Should You Get A Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
As we mentioned before, a wrongly positioned or improperly growing wisdom tooth is a reason for severe pain and should be extracted. Moreover, when a wisdom tooth isn’t out of the gum completely, it collects food particles and bacteria there. This can lead to bacterial infection, pus collection, dental carries etc. if you are expensing sharp severe pain in your back molar or wisdom tooth, consult a dentist for an extraction. An advice from an expert is always in your best interest.
How Is A Wisdom Tooth Extraction Performed?
As soon as you decide upon getting a wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist will guide you on the procedure of it all and ask your consent for the surgery. The procedure itself takes up 20 to 45 minutes or longer depending on the complexity of each case. The best part about wisdom tooth extraction is that you can go home right after your surgery. Plus, you won’t feel any pain since you will be numb from anesthesia.
A wisdom tooth is extracted by making an incision on top of and removing the gum tissues covering the tooth. The dentist then removes the wisdom tooth by separating the connection of tooth with surrounding tissues and bone and pulling the tooth out. The final step of the procedure is to stitch the incision up and cover it with cotton gauze. This promotes fast healing while preventing bleeding.
What to Expect After Your Wisdom Tooth Extraction Surgery?
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We have shortlisted a brief list of precautions that you can take to minimize the after effects of the surgery. These are:
- Drink plenty of water.
- You can expect mild bleeding. However, if the bleeding proceeds 24 hours after surgery then consult your dentist.
- You can tackle the bleeding by laying your head down on an elevated pillow.
- You can also expect certain level of pain which you can easily mange by taking the prescribed medicine.
- You can also treat any pain you have by putting an ice bag or anything frozen on your cheek. This will also be useful in any swelling or bruising, if you develop any.
- After 24 hours, you can also subdue the pain and swelling by using a salt water mouth wash. However, avoid harsh mouth wash and rinsing too hard.
- Avoid touching the wisdom tooth extracted area with your tongue or fingers, chewing or biting on the cotton gauze and you should also exercise precaution while brushing your teeth. The goal here is to not misplace the blood clot or opening your stitches.
- The general rule of thumb is to avoid anything that can loosen up the wound that includes any sort of sucking motion, usage of straws and smoking.
- Avoid excessive physical activities and intense exercises to prevent bleeding.
- Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, and hard or sharp foods.
Call Ideal Smiles Dental Today for Your Wisdom Teeth
Getting a wisdom tooth extracted is a very standard procedure that doesn’t takes that long nor does it hinder our day to day life. However, just like with any other medical procedure, you should always consult your dentist before proceeding on to getting one.
You should also make sure that the dentist performing the extraction is highly qualified and equipped with modern tools and techniques like the Staten Island NY Dentists at Ideal Smiles Dental. Call today for a consultation:
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