Wisdom Teeth Removal

What is Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Wisdom teeth are often the very last teeth to develop. These third molars are found at the very back of the mouth and if you don’t have enough room for them to come down fully, they can become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can become painful, infected and even damage surrounding teeth. In order to prevent future oral problems from happening, we will remove the wisdom teeth completely.

Why might Wisdom Teeth Removal be needed?

If you leave your impacted wisdom teeth untreated, they can and eventually will become a problem. They might try to come up through the gums, causing what is known as a partial eruption. This makes the gums more susceptible to inflammation and infection because the tooth isn’t able to completely come up on its own. Impacted wisdom teeth can even damage surrounding teeth or cause problems with shifting and crowding.

How can you tell you need Wisdom Teeth Removal?

There are a few ways that you can tell if your wisdom teeth need to be removed. It is often better to have them removed sooner rather than later. Some of the signs include:

  • Pain and whole-mouth tenderness
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Recurrent earaches and headaches
  • Swelling and inflammation around the gums
  • Pain to surrounding teeth
  • Damage to surrounding restorations (crowns, fillings, bridges)
  • Crowding

What can be expected during Wisdom Teeth Removal?

The wisdom teeth removal process involves administering anesthetic to numb the area or put you into a deep sleep. Once this is done, we’ll create an incision through the actual gums and remove the underlying wisdom tooth. Sutures are placed to close the gums, and the process is repeated for all other wisdom teeth. You can expect some pain, swelling and tenderness for the first few days following surgery. It is often best to stick to softer or liquid foods for these couple of days while your mouth is able to heal. You can come in after about a week for a follow-up appointment to ensure the gums have healed properly.

If you think your wisdom teeth might need to be removed, call us today so that we can get you in for a convenient consultation appointment.