Many people have their wisdom teeth removed. This is typically because they don’t have enough room in their mouth or the tooth becomes impacted. They can become uncomfortable and an easy place for food and bacteria to become trapped. We conduct dental procedures to remove these teeth so that patients can stay in good oral health.
The recovery process depends on how the teeth were removed. If they already broke through the surface, a dentist may be able to pull them out. If not, they will have to be surgically removed. In this process, a dentist or oral surgeon cuts the gum tissue, opens it up and removes any bone that may be in the way. The tooth is wiggled around and if it is firmly in place the ligaments that are holding the tooth will need to be cut prior to the tooth being pulled out. Once the tooth is out, the area will be cleaned, and the gum tissue will be laid back down. In both procedures, some form of anesthesia will be used to keep the patient comfortable.
After your wisdom teeth have been removed, there will be a healing and recovery process. If they were simply pulled, you may experience some pain and swelling that can be controlled with pain medication. Additionally the area will be sensitive for a few days so you may want to eat softer foods.
If oral surgery is performed, the healing process will take significantly longer. Each person heals differently so it could take several days to several weeks before a patient starts to feel normal again. Commonly, a patient’s face will swell, and eating will be rather difficult. Most people find it useful to stick with eating soft, cool foods. Things like ice cream, popsicles, yogurt, and applesauce can be good options. Warm soup is also a convenient food, just make sure that it isn’t too hot, or it may irritate the surgical site. Pain medication should be taken on a regular basis in order to ensure that a patient can stay comfortable during recovery. Most people take around three days off of school or work prior to resuming limited activity.
While the process may seem intimidating, an experienced dentist and oral surgeon are experts at performing wisdom teeth extractions and will ensure that everything goes smoothly. The health benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort considering that impacted wisdom teeth can actually start to become painful if they remain inside of the mouth. Additionally, there is always a risk that they will push existing teeth out of place and cause more problems. Both of which, can be mitigated by simply removing them. Once healed, the patient will be able to get back to life like normal without worrying about their back teeth causing pain or being crowded.
To learn more about having your wisdom teeth removed, contact us for a consultation. Our team of experts can walk you through the process and explain each step in detail. We are extremely knowledgeable on how to reduce the pain and recovery time associated with oral surgery so that you can get back to life quickly.