Impacted Wisdom Tooth Surgery: How This Procedure Performed

Many events are happening in your mouth, including the appearance of your third molars called wisdom teeth. If one of these emerges partially or develops inside your gums, impacted wisdom tooth surgery is necessary. This is because irregular development of wisdom teeth can cause pain and other dental complications. If not treated immediately, your wisdom tooth might be infected.

 

What is Impacted Wisdom Tooth?

Your back molars or the third molars of your teeth usually occur between the ages of 17 and 21. These teeth have been called wisdom teeth since they emerge at a more mature age. Many people develop their wisdom teeth without any problem. However, in some cases, they do not adequately break out on the gums. This condition is known as impacted wisdom tooth.

Impacted wisdom teeth are third molars that do not have sufficient room to grow normally. They can be stuck partially or fully below your gums and are not visible. This condition can cause pain, harm other teeth, and develop other dental issues.

If this happens to you, your dentist will probably recommend surgery to get rid of them. Wisdom tooth extraction is very common, and the healing period can take as long as a week, depending on your particular situation.

 

Signs and Symptoms

Some individuals with impacted wisdom teeth will not have any issues, while others will experience noticeable symptoms.

An impacted wisdom tooth may emerge partially where a tooth gets through the gums, and you can notice a piece of the gums.

This case may cause food to become stuck and can make dental hygiene routines more troublesome. A partially impacted tooth is very excruciating for some individuals and can also cause infection or other dental issues.

Wisdom tooth infection may have the following symptoms:

• red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• pain or inflammation around the jaw
• an unpleasant taste in your mouth
• awful breath
• difficulties opening your mouth

In some cases, a fully impacted wisdom tooth may happen where the affected tooth may never get through the gums.

 

Why Are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

A wisdom tooth infection can usually happen once the affected tooth is impacted. Regardless of whether your wisdom tooth is partially or fully impacted, food and bacteria can get trapped on the surrounding of the impacted tooth, resulting in a development of plaque, which can promote:

 

Damage to Other Teeth

An impacted wisdom tooth can cause tension with the other teeth. Once it pushes against the second molar, this condition can harm the second molar or expand the risk of infection in that portion. This pressing factor can also cause problems with the arrangement of the teeth or the need for orthodontic treatment to fix the issue.

 

Cysts

The wisdom tooth can create a sac inside the jawbone. The sac can load up with fluid, creating a cyst that can harm the nerves, teeth, and jawbone. Once in a while, a tumor, typically benign type, may develop that may require extraction of bone and tissue.

 

Tooth Decay

A partially impacted wisdom tooth seems to be at a greater danger of tooth decay. This most likely happens since wisdom teeth are more difficult to clean. Also, a partially impacted tooth can easily trap the food and bacteria around that area.

 

Gum disease

Since a partially or painful impacted tooth is troublesome to clean, you may lessen your dental hygiene habits. Poor oral care is the number one factor of gum disease. Additionally, this ineffective cleaning increases the danger of developing a painful, swollen gum condition called pericoronitis.

 

The Procedure of Impacted Wisdom Tooth Surgery

The only way to remove your impacted wisdom tooth is through a surgical procedure. This treatment can be completed by a dentist or an oral surgeon working in a hospital.

Once your dentist suggests extracting your wisdom teeth, they will get an X-ray of your mouth to help them decide who should perform the method.

You and your dentist should talk about any fees and payment selections before the treatment begins. Dr Willis and the SDG Baulkham Hills team briefly explain the procedure:

 

Dental Anesthesia for Impacted Wisdom Tooth Surgery

Before the impacted wisdom tooth surgery begins, your dentist will numb the tooth and surrounding area using local anesthesia.

If you are entirely anxious about the treatment, your dentist or oral surgeon may provide a sedative to help you relax. Usually, they inject this type of anesthesia into your arm.

Furthermore, a general anesthetic is rarely desirable for wisdom tooth surgery. Most dentists or oral surgeons only use it when they carry out the procedure in the hospital. For this situation, you will still be able to return home on the same day as the surgery.

 

Eliminating the Wisdom Tooth

If the tooth does not emerge through the gum, your oral surgeon will make a tiny cut in the gum to access it. They may also need to remove the little piece of the bone covering the tooth.

The surgeon may cut the tooth into smaller parts to make it simpler to eliminate through the opening. If the tooth breaks through the gum, they may need a minor incision.

You will feel some heaviness not long before the surgeon removes the tooth, as they require to enlarge the tooth socket by moving the tooth back and forth before taking it out.

You will not experience any pain as your dentist removes wisdom teeth because the zone will be numb. In any case, if you encounter pain during the process, inform your dentist or surgeon so they can offer you more anesthetic.

The time it takes to complete the procedure will vary. A simple extraction can take a couple of minutes. However, it can consume longer than 20 minutes if the condition of your impacted tooth is more complex.

 

After Wisdom Tooth Surgery

Once the dentist or oral surgeon made an opening, they usually used dissolving stitches to seal the gum. Your dentist will advise about how long the stitches require to meltdown. Generally, this case takes seven to ten days.

Your dentist may put dressings over the extraction area and request that you keep pressure on it by biting your jaws together for as long as an hour. This method allows a blood clot to form in the vacant tooth socket. A blood clot is an essential part of the recovery process. So, you will be very cautious not to dislodge your blood clot or stitches for a week.

Following the procedure, you may encounter some pain, swelling, and bleeding. Your dentist will give you specific directions for managing discomfort, like taking pain relievers and applying cold compresses.

Some activities that you need to avoid during recovery include:

• gargling your mouth out with liquid
• drinking from a straw
• spitting
• drinking alcohol and smoking
• drinking hot liquids like soup or tea
• strenuous physical activity
• anything that would dislodge your stitches or blood clot

Keeping yourself hydrated and eating healthy is essential for your healing process. It would be best to avoid eating solid foods and start with very soft ones such as pudding, smoothies, and mashed potatoes.

 

When to See A Dentist

Your recovery period should be greatly improved by the third day following the procedure. All discomfort and bleeding should be disappeared within a week of surgery.

A few complications could be an indication of infection or nerve damage. Look for help if you encounter any of these side effects:

• fever
• numbness
• trouble breathing or swallowing
• swelling that gets worse over time
• medication not compelling at managing the pain
• blood or discharge emerging from your nose
• bleeding that does not stop when you hold and apply pressure to the gauze

 

An impacted wisdom tooth may not cause any issues at all. If you have indications, you might need impacted wisdom tooth surgery. Schedule an appointment at Riverlandsdental.com.au and get a check up.