Your wisdom teeth are up to four new teeth that erupt in the rear of your mouth as you enter adulthood. To avoid the risk of serious complications, they may need to be removed. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral and maxillofacial surgeons talk about extracting wisdom teeth.
The Dangers Your Third Molars May Pose
Our mouths have evolved over the millennia to comfortably accommodate 28 teeth. While our wisdom teeth were useful at one time, now they simply force up to 32 teeth in the same space. Which means serious complications could arise. For example, they could only partially erupt, which is known as an impaction. They could crowd the teeth and cause misalignment., They could even damage nearby teeth and increase the risk of dental infection. To avoid these negative impacts on the beauty, function, and appearance of your teeth, you may need to have them removed. We can do this for our teen patients, and help them enter adulthood with a beautiful smile!
Planning Treatment and Preparing Your Smile
First, we need to take detailed digital panoramic x-rays, so we can identify the position of these teeth and the risk to the smile. Next, we plan the procedure in detail and administer a numbing agent and also dental sedation to ensure you enter a calm and relaxed state throughout the procedure. We want you to be comfortable, even if you have dental anxiety. We have three positions available, and the one we recommend will depend on your age, weight, medical history, and anxiety levels.
Tooth Extraction
Once you’re properly relaxed, we will then open the gums above the teeth to access and remove them comfortably. This could take as little as 30 minutes in some cases. Once your sedation begins to wear off, a friend or family member can bring you home. We will remove sutures in a follow-up visit, and you will need to rest for a day and during that time, eat only soft foods, avoid straw use, and avoid poking the site with your tongue. Be gentle when you brush and floss as well. We may also prescribe medications to keep you comfortable and facilitate a complication-free healing period.
If you have any questions about how we address your wisdom teeth and protect your smile, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you enjoy good oral health for years to come, and to always smile with confidence.
Do You Need to Schedule a Visit?
Our team wants to help you avoid the dangers of your third molars erupting. If you would like to learn more about how we protect the health and beauty of your smile, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
