Wisdom teeth are located at the farthest point back in your mouth. They are the last set of permanent molars to grow out of the gum line. They appear when a person is aged between 17 and 25 years. Wisdom teeth removal may be necessary to prevent some dental problems.
When you want to get your wisdom teeth removed, it is important that you consult with a dental professional first. Have an open discussion and discuss all the options available before settling on the procedure. In most cases, dentists will recommend wisdom teeth removal when the following happens.
The teeth do not fit in your mouth
Most of us have enough room for 28 teeth which is the number of teeth you have before wisdom teeth emerge. When we add the four wisdom teeth, the number of teeth will be 32. Some people have small jaws that cannot accommodate 32 teeth comfortably.
When your jaw is not big enough, your wisdom teeth could be negatively impacted as they may not be able to be able to grow completely or the teeth may be misaligned. In such a situation, wisdom teeth removal will help create enough room.
Chronic pain in the gums near the wisdom tooth
The pain could have been caused by wisdom teeth which may not have erupted partially. If food and bacteria are trapped in such areas, could lead to a painful infection known as pericoronitis. Wisdom teeth removal will be very important in this case as it will help prevent more painful infection.
The teeth do not emerge straight
At times, teeth may fully erupt but grow sideways. This could make other teeth shift over time and misaligned teeth could end up causing damage to the nearby teeth.
Cyst develops around the wisdom tooth
This condition happens when the sac near your tooth is filled with fluid. This could end up ruining the surrounding structures like tooth roots or bone. In some rare cases, a cyst that is not treated early enough could result in the development of a tumor which may require a more intense surgical procedure.
What should you expect during the removal procedure?
During the first consultation, the surgeon will take detailed X-rays to determine the extent of the infection or how close the impacted are to the gum surface. He or she will undertake an oral assessment to help come up with a specific course of action like wisdom teeth removal.
The doctor will also tell you about the potential complications of the procedure. Wisdom tooth removal is an outpatient procedure done in the surgeon’s office. All the four wisdom teeth can be removed or each tooth can be removed in separate sessions. In most cases, local anesthesia is used for numbing the region.
The dentist will open the gum tissue lying above the tooth and take out the bone which covers the tooth. The tissue that connects the bone to the tooth is removed and after this, the teeth will be removed. At times, the oral surgeon cuts the tooth into several small pieces for easy removal.
After the procedure, you will experience some discomfort. A follow-up visit will be scheduled to check the healing progress and address any concerns. Since wisdom teeth removal should be done with lots of precision, it is good to have the wisdom tooth extracted by an experienced dental surgeon.