Wisdom Teeth Extraction

The third set of molar, often referred to as “wisdom teeth,” can begin to come in for most people ages 17-25. The arrival of these teeth can often lead to pain, possible infection, or even damage to adjacent teeth.

These are the most common reasons that wisdom teeth need to be removed:

• Your jaw may not be large enough to accommodate all of your teeth which can lead to your wisdom teeth becoming impacted, or unable to emerge through your gums
• Your wisdom teeth may be coming in at a crooked angle which can lead to damage of neighboring teeth
• Infection can develop due to the impacted wisdom tooth

What to expect during the procedure: 

Wisdom tooth extraction is a relatively common procedure performed by Pinnacle Dental Group’s team of dentists and specialists. Patients will generally receive a local anesthetic to subdue any pain before and immediately after the procedure. Conscious sedation or general anesthesia may be offered in more complex cases or depending on the patient’s overall comfort level. After administering the anesthetic, the dentist or oral surgeon will carefully extract the tooth and suture the extraction site. You will be given time to recover before the dentist gives you post-care instructions.

Recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction:

There will usually be slight bleeding and some post-surgical pain immediately following the procedure. This is common in the healing process and your dentist will usually prescribe medication to mitigate any pain. You will have gauze over the extraction site after the procedure to control any bleeding. Be sure to regularly replace the gauze as needed. To limit swelling, an ice pack can be applied to your cheek for a few minutes at a time.

For the first couple of days following the procedure, make sure to limit physical activity and get plenty of rest. Only eat soft foods and avoid biting down on the incision site until the healing is complete. Make sure to follow your dentist’s instruction to avoid complications.