Impacted or badly damaged teeth and/or wisdom teeth that can potentially cause serious bite problems, infections or tooth pain should be removed.
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to break through the gums. They grow at the very back of a person’s mouth. There are four wisdom teeth in total. Wisdom teeth apply pressure to your jaw, which can lead to pain. This pain can be localized and it sometimes leads to headache.
If the wisdom teeth come through in the wrong position or if there isn’t enough room for them to grow, it may also cause :
- pain, swelling, or stiffness in the jaw
- swollen, tender, or bleeding gums
- difficulty opening the mouth or chewing
- bad breath
Pain in the wisdom teeth may resolve on its own, but in some cases, it will need either active home management or treatment in a hospital or dental surgery.
You can practice good oral hygiene, avoid sugary foods.
Talking to your dentist about tooth extraction is the first step. Your dentist is most likely the one to recommend an extraction — for example for the removal of wisdom teeth. If it’s not medically necessary, you have the option to go through with it or not.
Before the procedure, your dentist answers your questions and tells you how to prepare for the extraction. Ask about pain and risks. Find out if it’s covered by your insurance. Depending on the reason for the extraction, you may have options for replacing the tooth with an artificial substitute.
Your dentist may recommend not having a tooth extraction procedure, even for wisdom teeth removal. For example, you shouldn’t have the procedure if you:
- Are taking certain drugs
- Have a problem close to the extraction site
- Are pregnant
- Have a systemic illness
Tooth extraction might involve removing a single damaged tooth or removing all four wisdom teeth. Based on your preferences, We will use local anesthetic to numb the area where a tooth will be extracted. Some patients prefer a general anesthetic, nitrous oxide or oral sedation before undergoing an oral surgery procedure. Whether you are having an extraction or some other form of oral surgery, we will do everything possible to ensure your comfort throughout the procedure.
