Wisdom teeth, often times referred to as third molars, are up to four new teeth that make their presence known in our late teens and early 20s. When they do, major problems with the function, health, and appearance of the smile could follow. To protect smiles from major complications, such as one or more impacted teeth, your Santa Rosa or Rohnert Park, CA, oral surgeons could extract the wisdom teeth completely.
The Risks of Third Molars
Our smiles have evolved over the millennia to comfortably accommodate 28 teeth. At one time these extra molars were necessary, but now they simply force up to 32 teeth in the same space, which leads to problems. For some, only one or two could erupt, while others could have all four come in at once. When they do, this could damage surrounding teeth and increase the risk of painful symptoms and infection. They could also only partially erupt, known as an impaction, due to limited space. Dental misalignment could develop as well, altering the health and beauty of your smile. To avoid these problems and the need for major dental work down the road, we could remove them completely before they even arrive.
Planning Treatment
You may be referred to us by your orthodontics or general dentist, or you may simply want to make sure your child’s smile isn’t at risk. Either way, we will begin with a thorough exam using digital x-rays and CBCT imaging technology. These provide clear and detailed pictures of everything beneath the gums, so we can identify the positions of the teeth and their risk of eruption. We then plan the treatment without precision and accuracy. When the time comes for treatment, we will administer a local anesthetic and also dental sedation to ensure you enter a calm and relaxed state with little to no memory of the procedure at all!
Extracting the Teeth
When you’re comfortable, we will begin by carefully opening the gums above the teeth so we can access and remove wisdom teeth with a pair of forceps. This process takes about 30 minutes in some cases. We then suture the site closed. A friend or family member can bring you home as the sedation takes time to wear off. For the first day, you need to rest, eat soft foods, take any prescribed medications, and be gentle when you brush and floss. We will examine you in a follow-up visit to make sure everything is healing properly.
Ready to Remove Your Third Molars
Our team can protect your smile from painful dental impaction. If you would like to find out more about how we remove your third molars, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
