What the wisdom teeth are
It is basically third set of molars and usually gets out by age of early twenties. With time human jaw had become smaller comparing to our ancestors. Due to some diet characteristics these teeth are now extra. Some people are born without them, but most have to get rid of them. Four in total: two on the top, same on the bottom.
Why need they be taken out?
Mostly it is better to remove wisdom teeth. There can be several reasons to do so:
- No room for them. This is a common thing as normally our mouth is not big enough to place 4 more molars. Eruption of wisdom teeth can result in a serious shifting and distort your smile even if it used to be perfect before.
- They are not fully erupted from gum. Impacted teeth are hard to clean properly and likely to get bacterial infection.
- Coming in crooked. Third molars may occur in even a perpendicular position, which can damage surrounding teeth and cause a lot of pain.
- They don’t erupt at all. When tooth is staying inside there is a 25% risk of cancer developing.
Impacted wisdom teeth are known to be the most painful ones. They can affect not only oral health, but an overall state as well. These molars, both upper and lower, often lead to headache, jaw pain, bad breath, even make it difficult to speak and open one’s mouth. That is very rare to experience no problems with wisdom teeth. After eruption they are likely to break or get cavity. If yours still haven’t erupted or do bring any kind of discomfort you should consider a surgery the sooner the better. Getting the third molars pulled will prevent great amount of issues. The first step to check on them is meeting a doctor and having an X-ray.
Before removal
Only dental specialist can tell whether you should get a tooth pulled. The procedure is performed by the same person or a surgeon. It usually takes another single meeting since examination of current state. When scheduling a removal bear in mind that you need to rest at least the next day.
Discuss anesthesia options with a dentist. It can be local anesthetic which numbs the surrounding gum or general one that makes you asleep for the whole process. Sedating medications can be used as well. Some of them doesn’t allow the patient to drive, so clarify the limitation with your doctor. It is the same about the recovery length and afterwards recommendations. Be ready to abandon solid foods and tobacco products during a few days.
The procedure often demands an additional surgery and more time for recovery as a result. Otherwise it is a simple surgical operation just like taking out any other tooth. The cost depends on the level of difficulty and used materials. Sometimes the tooth is separated to smaller parts in order to make the extraction easier. There is also a possibility of getting some stitches. If not the self-dissolving type, they must be removed by a surgeon in about a week.
Full healing can take up to a few months. The dentist will tell you what to expect after the extraction. Following-up his advice would help you recover faster.
Visit us today
Don’t delay! Ask dentist to check on your wisdom tooth position and plan a removal if necessary without a rush. The earlier a patient do so the less problems it will cause. It is much less stressful than to find out you need to pull it in emergency right before an important event. In any case, we are always here, in our clinic in Jacksonville to help you at a reasonable price.
As tooth root is formed eventually it gets harder to remove. Young people are more tolerant to the surgery and recovery takes less time. In most cases refusing from the extraction today means you will undergo a more painful situation in two years or so.
We know it is always scaring to get a surgery and we are not going to force anyone to have one. Together with our surgical specialists clients consider all possibilities and find the best solution for particular situation. You are welcome to ask any questions.
on Dec 12, 2018