Wisdom Teeth Removal

For some people, erupting of wisdom teeth is a painless and sometimes unnoticeable experience. However, most dental experts recommend having your third molars removed early, preferably in teen years, before they cause any problems and complications. Listed below are just some of the benefits of an early wisdom teeth removal.

Decreased risk of dental caries and gum disease
Avoiding damage to the surrounding teeth
Avoiding unwanted tooth movement
Reduced oral and facial discomfort
The less painful process of healing
Improved quality of life

Wisdom teeth are considered a part of normal human dentition in situations where they have enough room to erupt properly, without any pain swelling, or other dental problems.

For some people, however, these teeth don’t have enough space to emerge or develop normally, which forces them to grow in all possible directions, toward the next tooth or the back of the mouth, or sometimes even stay trapped within the jawbone. Such wisdom teeth are impacted, and since they are more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease, most dentists recommend their extraction even in cases where painful symptoms have not yet occurred

Besides being a constant source of pain and discomfort, wisdom teeth that haven’t erupted properly can cause more severe dental and medical problems. Because it is difficult to properly clean the area around a tooth that hasn’t fully erupted, impacted third molars can increase the possibility of catching a gum disease called pericoronitis. Such condition can result in pain, inflammation, while in more severe cases it can lead to the loss of the surrounding teeth.

The problem of maintaining proper dental hygiene in areas surrounding an impacted tooth also increases the chance of decay and cavities because of the harmful bacteria and food that gets trapped between the gum and partially erupted tooth.

Another thing to worry about when dealing with an impacted tooth is the damage it can cause to other teeth, especially if it is growing toward the second molar. Apart from increasing the risk of infection in that area, the pressure caused by an impacted tooth can disrupt the normal position of other teeth in the jaw and lead to overcrowding.

A rare but potentially severe complication is the development of a cyst, a fluid-filled sac within the jawbone. Cysts can deal severe damage to the jawbone, teeth and nerves, and if left untreated, may even lead to the development of benign tumors.

Even if you are not experiencing painful symptoms at the moment, an impacted tooth can cause complications in the future. That is why we recommend having them removed with minimal complications before infection or inflammation occurs

Determining just what type of impaction you are dealing with is sometimes crucial for finding the best possible way to remove the tooth. There are many different classifications, but the most important one is based on the general angulation or positioning of the erupting tooth.

The most common type of impaction is mesial, or mesio-angular, which means that the tooth is tilting forward, toward the front of the mouth. There are also verticular impactions with relatively normal orientation, as well as horizontal, or traverse, in which the tooth has a sideways direction. Meanwhile, in a distal, or distoangular type, the tooth is growing toward the rear of the month.

Another way to categorize impactions is to divide them into “soft tissue” ones, in which the tooth’s crown penetrates through the bone but not through the gums. On the other side, “bony” or “hard tissue” impactions mean that tooth is still located mainly inside the jawbone.

Before you undergo the extraction procedure, you will have to stop by for a consultation so that we can determine whether the benefits of removing the tooth outweigh the costs in your case. During the consultation, our dentist will assess your general medical condition and explain to you the extraction procedure itself as well as the post-operative process.

Once our dentist reviews your full mouth x-ray (OPG), which can be taken free of charge, you will be given a final assessment and diagnosis, after which you will be all ready to have your teeth removed.

Dental anxiety is common among patients and it is affecting millions of people every day. No matter if you heard some bad experiences with extraction procedures or not, it is entirely reasonable to be scared.

This is precisely why we have equipped our staff members with knowledge and patience to lead you through this process and answer any concerns you might have with ease. We also worked hard to develop a procedure that will help minimize any complications after surgery including pain or swelling.

Here at MGA Dental we fully comprehend the anxiety patients might have prior to the extraction procedure and the impact it has on the procedure itself. This is why we offer our answers to any question you might have along with sedation dentistry that would soothe even the most worried
anxious patients.

Preoperative instructions:

– Make sure to wear comfortable clothes
– Dental hygiene is strongly recommended before the procedure
– Complete health is strongly advised, patients need to report any infections or other health problems so that we can reschedule your appointment
– Eating is allowed, however, we kindly recommend a lighter diet
– Company during the procedure is optional, not necessary

The time frame of the procedure is around 30 to 60 minutes. Thanks to many improvements in the dental and medical field, possible outcomes of the wisdom teeth extraction and post-operative recovery have been reduced to a minimum.

You might feel some discomfort a couple of hours after the procedure, once the local anesthesia wears off. Patients are kindly advised to take Nurofen or Panadol immediately if they experience any postoperative pain. In case the recommended medication is not reducing your discomfort, feel free to take stronger pain medication our staff members have prescribed. At this part of the recovery, we usually include Panadeine Forte which will significantly reduce the pain you might feel.

The gauze your dentist will place over the surgical area should be there for at least 20 minutes to prevent the forming of a blood clot.

Touching your wound or rinsing it is strongly prohibited since this could damage the already formed clot and possibly cause bleeding

Use pain medications or antibiotics only as prescribed

Avoid increasing your heart rate by exercising or heavy lifting. Resume your daily activities once the pain is reduced to a minimum.

The level of pain varies and it is entirely individual. Depending on each individual, the feeling may range from mild discomforts to severe pain. Patients can expect approximately two to four days of recovery. To avoid any further problems, patients are strongly advised to follow our post-operative instructions carefully. By following these guidelines, a more comfortable recovery will be ensured.

Pain – We recommend taking your pain medications as prescribed. Please note that the pain following the surgery will subside over a few days. In case the pain persists, you may need further attention, so we advise contacting our office.

Bleeding – During the first 24 to 48 hours after the surgery, some bleeding is considered normal. Patients may find some blood in their saliva or the wound during the first couple of days. In case the bleeding gets heavier, follow the instructions you received at our office.

Antibiotics – Antibiotics are commonly used to prevent any possible infection, so in case you have been prescribed with them, strictly follow the dentist’s instruction and stop their intake only in cases of sudden rash or unusual reaction.

Swelling – It is common to experience swelling, the amount you will encounter will be proportional to the level of surgery that was involved. It will appear the first day after your surgery and it will gradually subside over the next 2 to 3 days.

Mild Bruising – Discoloration of the skin is a common post-operative symptom, that will develop within 2 to 3 days after the surgery.

Keep the mouth clean – Usual dental hygiene can be resumed after the first day of recovery. We strongly recommended rinsing with warm water and a teaspoon of salt after every meal.

Diet – Avoid any sucking motion that could affect already formed blood clot.

Sutures – They are placed in the area of surgery to minimize post-operative bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they can become dislodged and this is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture form your mouth and discard it. There will be a cavity where the tooth was removed. The cavity will gradually fill in with the new tissue over the next month. In the mean time, the area should be kept clean especially after meals with salt-water rinses or a toothbrush.

Same as any medical procedure, the surgical removal of wisdom teeth comes with its own set of postoperative risks and complications:

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is one of the most common complications following this type of procedure. It happens 3-5 days after the tooth is removed, when a blood clot fails to develop, or becomes dislodged.

Nerve injury – In rarer cases, parts of the trigeminal nerve could get injured, leading to a tingling sensation and numbness in some areas of the face and mouth.

Infection accompanied by high body temperature and persistent pain and swelling.

Persistent bleeding.