By
markhenry1513
March 30, 2015 - 7:26am
Wisdom teeth develop in the back of the mouth in most people’s early 20s or late teenage years. These teeth can cause infection in the mouth or crowding from there not being enough room for them to grow in correctly. Many people make the decision to remove their wisdom teeth as a pre-emptive procedure and are willing to face the side effects associated with the removal to avoid worse problems.
How are wisdom teeth removed?
Prior to the extraction of the wisdom teeth, the dental professional will take X-rays of the area to see if any of the teeth are impacted or need special care to remove. Once the dentist devises a plan on how to best remove the teeth, he or she will apply a general anesthetic to the area so that the patient doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort. The anesthetic will put the patient to sleep so that they do not make any movements during the surgery. Once the patient is asleep, the dental professional will cut open the gum tissue to gain access to the tooth, where he will grasp it and wiggle it side to side to loosen. If the tooth is impacted, the dentist may need to break it into pieces to remove it entirely. The dental professional will stitch the wound back together and the surgery will be completed. The dentists in Anchorage, AK, are best place to go for wisdom teeth extraction.
Why are wisdom teeth removed?
Wisdom teeth are removed so that they do not cause overcrowding in an already full mouth. Overcrowding can cause the teeth to shift and realign in a crooked manner. Wisdom teeth are also removed if there is a chance for disease or infection, especially for impacted wisdom teeth. Most wisdom teeth are removed before they cause any problems.
What are the possible risks of wisdom teeth removal?
Swelling: Swelling is one of the most common side effects of wisdom teeth removal, which is why the procedure is associated with large, puffy cheeks. This swelling in the cheeks tends to go down a few days after the surgery is completed, and if it does not, one should seek a dental professional.
Bleeding: Although most dental professionals stitch up the open wound after removing wisdom teeth, bleeding, especially immediately after the procedure, is a common side effect of wisdom teeth removal. Bleeding may seem continuous, but should dilute down after a few days. Bleeding that does not stop after a week should be a cause for concern and be brought up with a dental professional.
Dry socket: Dry socket is a problem that arises when the blood in the wound from the extraction dissipates too quickly. The dry, open wound can be very painful and omit a foul odor. Dry socket can be avoided by eating carefully and avoiding sucking on things like straws.
Damage to jaw: In rare cases, removing an impacted wisdom teeth may cause damage to the jaw if it is very heavily attached. When the dental professional breaks an impacted wisdom tooth to extract it, there is potential that there may be damage caused to the jaw. Damage caused to the jaw is rare, but can be difficult to repair.
Numbness: Numbness from the anesthetic may take a long period of time to wear off, leaving the entirety of the patient’s mouth numb for days. If numbness persists, contact a dental professional and see what can be done to relieve the problem.