Process Of Impacted Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth is a term used to refer to the four third molars found at the back of the mouth. These sets of teeth were useful hundreds of years ago when our ancestors used to feed on hard foods such as nuts. However, evolution has rendered these teeth useless. Out of 65% of people across the world that grow wisdom teeth, 85% of them will require wisdom tooth extraction.
There are quite a number of reasons why your dentist may recommend wisdom teeth extraction. Most of them start with insufficient space in the jaw, which causes improper growth or positioning. When your tooth is unable to grow above the gums or just partially emerge, it is called impacted. In most cases, such a tooth may affect other teeth thus causing pain.
Additionally, food debris may accumulate on the surface of the gum where there is an impacted wisdom tooth thus causing accumulation of bacteria. This will not only cause the wisdom tooth to decay but also other subsequent teeth. It might also lead to an infection that may cause the patient difficulty in opening the mouth, swelling, and redness of the gums and may also result to bad breath.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth Removal Procedure
The dentist can remove all the four wisdom teeth in one session or might choose to remove each tooth in different sessions. Your dentist or oral surgeon will decide which option will best work for you. Before commencing the process, he or she will take some x-rays to determine whether the impacted are close to the surface if the gums and assess the stage of infection.
After the dentist has done all the necessary examination and has ascertained that you are a good candidate. He will then proceed and apply local anaesthesia to numb the area. If there is more than one wisdom tooth that needs to be removed, the dentist will apply general anaesthesia. Also, the type of anaesthesia to be used will depend on how nervous the patient is.
While removing impacted wisdom teeth, the dentist will start by removing the gum tissue on the surface of the teeth to expose bone which covers the tooth. After the tooth has been exposed, the dentist will then go ahead and remove it. In some situation, the dentist might be forced to cut the tooth into small pieces so that it can become easy to remove.
After the process is done, the dentist will use some stitches to return the opened gum tissues. The dentist might use stitches that dissolve on the gums over time or ones that need to be removed after some few days. Your dentist will let you know the type of stitches used.
Bottom Line
It is important that you get your wisdom teeth removed early before they have fully developed. This means that the root will not have fully developed so the removal process will be quite simple. It also reduces the recovery time from wisdom teeth removal. You don’t have to wait until your wisdom teeth start becoming problematic, visit our dentist in Melbourne as soon as possible and let him/her advice you on the best way forward.