As we grow, our smiles undergo a number of changes. However, some of these changes could be potentially harmful for your smile’s health, appearance, and stability. As we enter adulthood, up to four new molars could erupt. Known as wisdom teeth, these could pose serious risks for your smile. Fortunately, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons know to carefully and comfortably remove them prior to eruption!
Your Third Molars
As we touched on above, these additional molars that don’t arrive until we reach our late teens and early 20s. At one time, this served a purpose for our ancestors. However, now they often force 32 teeth into a space that has evolved to comfortably accommodate 28. The result is impaction, an issue in which they can only partially erupt.
The Dangers of Impaction
Dental impaction could mean damage to nearby teeth, serious discomfort, and even infections in one or more teeth. They could also lead to the onset of dental misalignment, which in addition to changing the appearance of your smile, misalignment could increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. The arrival of new teeth also upsets the balance of your bite and strains the jaw joints, which leads to a higher likelihood or disorders such as TMD or bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). To avoid these potential complications, our team can sue oral surgery to carefully and safely extract them prior to eruption.
The Removal Process
The process starts with a thorough clinical examination with digital technology, including a CT scan. We also provide a detailed x-ray evaluation with digital technology as well. A detailed diagnosis means we can better plan the extraction process. The next step involves administering a local anesthesia. We also have sedation, including nitrous oxide and IV sedation. We will select one based on factors such as your medical history and level of anxiety, and a trained anesthesiologist will be on hand for those undergoing IV anesthesia. We next gently remove the teeth in question after opening the area of the gums above them. Next, we suture the extraction site closed. The entire process on average takes between 30 and 40 minutes. The sutures will be removed in a follow-up appointment. If you have any questions about the extraction process, or about wisdom teeth in general, then please contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Wisdom Tooth Removal?
We want to make sure you enjoy a functional and beautiful smile, and that may mean the need for oral surgery. To learn more about the extraction process, or to schedule a consultation, call Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
