What are Wisdom Teeth and Why are They Removed?
Wisdom teeth are permanent teeth located at the back of your mouth. The jaws of many people are too small to accommodate wisdom teeth without causing other teeth to shift. The results can be problematic. A wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure that removes the teeth if necessary.
Impacted wisdom teeth are teeth that don’t have the space or room to erupt into the mouth or develop normally, so they haven’t emerged from beneath the gums and aren’t visible. Consequently, impacted wisdom teeth may only erupt partially or not at all. You may need to have an impacted wisdom tooth removed if it causes dental problems, pain, or infection. Our dental professionals at Restoration Dental in St. Louis can perform wisdom tooth extractions.
Even when impacted teeth don’t currently pose a problem, our dental team recommends wisdom tooth extractions to avoid potential future complications.
What to Expect With Wisdom Tooth Extractions
Our dentist is likely to recommend surgery if your wisdom teeth are causing issues. Wisdom teeth extraction is a fairly standard procedure, and recovery might take up to a week, depending on your circumstances. Patients with impacted wisdom teeth may require an extended recovery period.
Wisdom teeth extraction is considered an outpatient procedure, meaning that you’re admitted and released from the surgery center on the same day. If you’re anesthetized or sedated during your procedure, you will likely wake up in the dental chair. You’ll be directed to the recovery room after undergoing general anesthesia because it may take you a bit longer to wake up. Consult our dentist about the type of sedation you should expect.
Recovery for Tooth Extractions
As you recover from surgery, your mouth slowly begins to feel normal again. It’s usual to experience some pain and swelling and some bleeding after surgery. As soon as you wish, you can apply an ice pack to your face. You’ll also be instructed on how and when to take any prescribed painkillers or over-the-counter medications.
Wisdom teeth surgery usually takes between three and four days to fully recover. Your teeth could take a full week to recover if they were impacted or growing at an awkward angle. Infection can still occur weeks after surgery because the wound left behind won’t completely heal for a month or two. Monitor yourself for signs of infection at all times.
On the day following your surgery, you can resume normal daily activities, but you should refrain from doing anything that could cause stitches to come loose or your blood clot to dislodge. A few examples include but are not limited to:
- Exercising vigorously
- Using tobacco products
- Drinking through a straw
- Spitting
Complications may indicate an infection or damage to the nerves. The following symptoms should prompt you to seek medical attention:
- Having difficulty swallowing or breathing
- No effect of medication on dulling the pain
- Swelling that becomes worse over time
- Fever
- Expelling blood or pus from your nose
- Bleeding that persists even after applying pressure with gauze
Wisdom tooth extraction from our dentist at Restoration Dental is a fairly simple process. Follow your dentist’s instructions, and extraction and recovery should go smoothly.
Having Issues with Your Wisdom Teeth?
Contact our St. Louis dental office and schedule an appointment to have your wisdom teeth examined by our dental professionals.
