Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom teeth usually erupt in between the ages of 17 and 25 hence got the name, but it no way imparts that extra knowledge. Not everyone requires extraction of the wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to severe toothaches, overcrowding, and even damage other teeth if they aren’t removed. Symptoms and signs that could indicate your wisdom teeth should come out are:
- Overcrowding that is damaging other teeth
- Tooth decay and causing decay in the adjacent tooth
- Partially erupted tooth and food lodgement
- Gum disease
- Suggested for successful orthodontic treatment (in some cases) where the jaw cannot accommodate them (No Space)
FAQs
Wisdom teeth is the last teeth to erupt in our mouth. Usually, the common reasons for its extraction are pain, infection during its growth (Pericoronitis), deep cavity, improper alignment, no enough space to accommodate it, food lodgment due to improper angulation, totally or partially submerged in the gums (Called Impaction)
Wisdom tooth extraction occasionally requires surgical approach by making a cut in the gum and drilling the bone. It takes about 30minutes to 1hour depending on the complexity of the procedure.
Local anesthesia usually 2%Lignocaine with adrenaline is used for wisdom tooth extraction.
The expected risks are swelling and jaw stiffness which might last for a week, pain and discomfort which is taken care with over-the-counter analgesics, dry socket (mostly in smokers), numbness and altered sensation to the lips, chin or tongue (when the root is close to the nerve supply), sinus perforation in case of upper third molar are some relative complications.
The recovery period depends on various factors like the complexity of the procedure, size of the tooth, severity of infection and other comorbidities. Usually, it takes a period of 7 days for a small tooth with single root to heal but since wisdom tooth is large and has several roots it takes 3 weeks for complete healing and it takes 3 to 4 months for the elimination of the hole as well as the bone to completely form and mature.