Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Oral Surgeon North Dallas
 Wisdom tooth extraction is a prevalent dental procedure where one or more wisdom teeth are removed. These teeth are the third molars at the furthest point in your jaw. They emerge as the last teeth, generally in your late teenage years or early adult years. The extraction of wisdom teeth is crucial if they become impacted or infected. When you visit us at Dallas Oral Surgery Associates in North Dallas we will examine your wisdom teeth and decide whether extraction is crucial.
Our unrivaled experience ensures you get the best services. We tailor our dental services to suit your needs. Comprehensive oral examination, medical history, and diagnostic tests such as x-rays help us establish whether you need wisdom teeth extraction. If you are a good candidate for the removal, we will then proceed with the process. We continually improve our services to guarantee 100% customer satisfaction by offering superior dental services.
What is an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?
An impacted wisdom tooth fails to emerge fully or partially from the gum tissue. It is also a tooth that grows abnormally in your mouth. The situation occurs when the wisdom tooth cannot break through your gums and remains trapped in your jawbone. You will experience swelling, pain, and other dental issues in such a situation.
Most people don't have enough room in their mouth to accommodate these new sets of teeth, causing them to be impacted. You can have either partial or complete teeth impaction. With partially impacted wisdom teeth, some parts of the teeth remain stuck in your gum tissues and bone, while the gum tissues and bone fully cover the impacted ones.
How to Tell if Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted
There are many signs and symptoms that indicate that the wisdom teeth are impacted. The first sign is pain and swelling which occurs when these teeth fail to grow normally. The situation exerts too much pressure on the gums and jaw, leading to pain. The teeth will also cause the gum tissues to be red, bleed easily, and become inflamed.
An impacted tooth will affect your jaw functionality, making opening and closing of your mouth challenging. These teeth will also encourage the accumulation of food particles and bacteria, leading to a bad taste in your mouth or bad breath. Additionally, since the teeth grow at an abnormal angle, they will cause the shifting or crowding of other teeth.
How Long Does Wisdom Teeth Removal Take?
The time it takes to remove your wisdom teeth will depend on the number of teeth that need to be removed and whether they are partially or fully impacted. Typically, we take an average of 20 to 30 minutes to remove your impacted wisdom teeth. In case of any issues or the teeth are problematic to extract, it will take one hour or more.
The extraction process will require local anesthesia. We first make incisions on your gum tissues using specialized dental tools to access the tooth. We then extract the teeth from their socket using special dental tools. After removing the teeth, we clean the site and remove any bacteria and debris. Placing stitches helps to prevent bleeding and also safeguards the site from infection. We will place gauze on the area where incisions were made to stop active bleeding.
After the procedure, we give pain medication to minimize any discomfort. We also offer post-operative instructions, such as how to clean the area and the foods you should consume. Following the instructions prevents infections and shortens the healing period.
How Long Does Wisdom Tooth Pain Last?
The wisdom tooth extraction process comes with mild pain after the local anesthesia wears off. The level of pain will depend on the severity of the extraction process. You can expect to experience mild pain and discomfort for a few days, but the pain will disappear. We will also prescribe pain medications for the pain.
How to Relieve Wisdom Tooth Pain
You will likely note some pain in the first 24 to 48 hours. However, we will give you pain medications to relieve the symptoms. Medications such as ibuprofen will help minimize pain and increase comfort. Ensure you adhere to the doses we recommend for the best results.
Applying ice packs can also help ease the pain and minimize swelling. Ensure you use ice packs on the extraction site for an average of 15 to 20 minutes daily. Rinsing your mouth with salt water will also help reduce the risk of infection and minimize pain. Mix warm water with salt and swish this solution in your mouth for a few seconds.
Another way to minimize pain is to be careful about your diet. For instance, hard foods will injure the extraction site and cause pain. Ensure you only eat a soft diet to avoid putting too much pressure on the extraction site.
What to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
After the removal of the impacted wisdom teeth, you must adhere to the basic post-extraction instructions for the best outcome. The foods you consume after the procedure primarily affect the healing process. Eating foods that injure the extraction site will prolong the healing process and even predispose you to infections and pain.
Immediately after the surgical removal of your teeth, consider blended smoothies and shakes. These foods will provide the needed hydration and nutrients while avoiding damaging the site. Warm soup also provides the required nourishment and is very easy to swallow.
Other foods to consider are yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cold desserts. The goal is only to choose soft foods that will not irritate the site. Avoid spicy, acidic, hot, hard, or crunchy foods. You can reintroduce solid foods a few days after the extraction site heals and there is no more pain.
Wisdom Tooth Removal at Dallas Oral Surgery Associates
Wisdom tooth extraction is a sensitive procedure and requires specialized expertise and tools for the best outcome. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, or have other teeth that may need to be extracted due to gum disease or tooth decay, you can visit us at Dallas Oral Surgery Associates for a professional review and customized services. We can manage even the most complicated dental issues. Ensure you contact us at 214-363-9946, and we will be happy to help with any dental problems. |
