Wisdom Teeth Removal FAQs
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are your third set of molars. They usually emerge around your late teens to early 20s. That’s why they are called wisdom teeth, because they arrive at a time when you might have earned some knowledge about the world around you.
Some men and women have wisdom teeth that are properly aligned and come in with no problems. Often, however, these teeth do not have enough room to emerge properly and are misaligned in some way.
When do wisdom teeth need to be removed?
Wisdom teeth may need to be removed if they create a crowding problem. It’s not uncommon for wisdom teeth to come in at an angle or even be horizontally aligned. That can place undue pressure on your nearby teeth and potentially cause damage.
In other cases, wisdom teeth develop but never emerge through your gum tissue. This condition is called impaction. If they are only partially impacted and begin to emerge, they can allow bacteria to enter your gums and create an infection.
How are wisdom teeth removed?
The team at WisNova Institute of Dental Specialists has access to the latest digital imaging technology and can determine the exact location of your wisdom teeth before charting out a treatment plan. There are also highly skilled sedation experts on staff to ensure you get the proper anesthesia for your procedure.
If your wisdom teeth are not fully erupted through your gum tissue they may need to be removed through a simple surgical procedure. Once the gums are removed from a portion of the tooth the dentist can use forceps to loosen and remove it.
If your wisdom teeth are impacted, the process involves opening your gums to access the tooth. It may be necessary to break the tooth into smaller pieces prior to removal. Next, the site is cleaned of debris before the area is sutured closed. A gauze dressing is placed over the site to reduce bleeding and facilitate the formation of a blood clot.
Regardless of the type of tooth extraction you need, you’ll receive detailed instructions for aftercare to help move the healing process forward. Following those guidelines is an important part of the tooth extraction process.
Learn more during a face-to-face consultation – to schedule an appointment call our office or request appoint online.