Everything You Should Know About Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that are needed to grind food. Like other molars, they are a set of four teeth, only flatter, enabling an effective grinding action. Perhaps, being last to grow, is what led them to be called wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth were useful for our ancestors’ diet that consisted of harder food, whereas evolved eating equipment and habits need them much lesser.

Some people might have less or more than four wisdom teeth. Typically, wisdom teeth can be seen in dental X-rays at the age of twelve, although they erupt around age seventeen to twenty for most people.

A significant number of people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth, requiring a dental procedure. The most common way that a wisdom tooth is impacted at growth is by being trapped. This means that they are unable to develop into the proper position due to a conflict against the already developed bone or teeth in that area. This can cause pressure and lead to pain.

The impacted wisdom tooth is generally extracted. A dentist in Kissimmee would recommend extraction if they crowd alongside other teeth, put pressure on other teeth causing them to start moving, develop sideways or tilted instead of straight up, erupt partially, cause pressure in the jaw, decay, cause infections due to trapped food or cysts, and do not have adequate space to develop. However, if wisdom teeth erupt properly and completely, then the dentist near you will probably just monitor and clean it at regular intervals and extraction may not be needed.

In any case, it is important to stay in touch with your dentist and have the wisdom tooth checked regularly since they are inaccessible while brushing or flossing, and hence susceptible to decay. They can review your condition and recommend the appropriate action. Dentists who perform wisdom teeth extractions near you may also recommend wisdom teeth extractions before the age of 35 years to avoid complications.

If a wisdom tooth requires extraction, the process would start with an oral examination and X-ray to determine the appropriate action. Wisdom teeth extractions in Kissimmee are a fairly common outpatient procedure. Based on your need and preference, the dentist will numb the area of surgery with a local anesthetic. In some cases, general anesthesia can be administered if the patient has more than one wisdom teeth extraction or has anxiety. The extraction generally lasts thirty to forty-five minutes. The preparation and post-surgery processes may take more time.

The dentist starts with opening your gum tissue to move the bone that is holding on to the tooth to be extracted, then proceeding to remove the tooth. You might require stitches after the removal to enable faster and better post-surgery healing.

After completion, the patient is asked to bite and hold on to gauze for some time until bleeding stops. For the next few hours, the patient must be careful not to bite their tongue, cheek or lips, since the mouth may still be numb from the anesthesia. The dentists in Kissimmee will prescribe pain medication as well as antibiotics, to ease the pain and swelling which might occur for the first few days. The patient can also use ice packs to reduce swelling.

For the next few days, it is required that the patient does not use a straw, does not brush, and gargle very softly if needed. Sucking action in the mouth can cause dry sockets, thereby, complicating post-surgery recovery. See your dentist immediately if bleeding recurs or does not stop. The patient can also rinse the mouth will warm salt water from the second day onwards, as this can reduce swelling and promote healing.

The post-surgery diet is recommended to be soft, and the patient should slowly move towards a normal diet over the next few days and weeks. Mashed potatoes, pudding, smoothies, warm soups, milkshakes, ice cream, etc. are preferred. Avoid acidic, hard, spicy, and crunchy foods. Also, stay away from alcohol and coffee for the first day or two.