Wisdom Tooth Extraction, What should you know
The thought of Wisdom Tooth Extraction itself is scarier and this makes the patient uncooperative or to avoid the extraction procedure itself. But have the right information about Widom Tooth, its problems and treatment can help one be better prepared.
So, What should you know about wisdom tooth extraction?
With age comes wisdom. Specifically wisdom teeth!
The four wisdom teeth, or the molars, are located at the far end of the jaw. These are the last molars. Since these teeth come in when a person is in their late teens or early twenties, or let’s just say, at a more mature age, they have been called wisdom teeth.
When they erupt through correctly, healthy wisdom teeth can help you chew and can be a valuable asset to your mouth. But most of the times, it is either a crooked tooth, or one impacting the adjacent premolar tooth, or one lying perpendicular to the teeth roots, or sometimes, even if erupted properly, forming a cavity on the innermost side of the tooth. A little pain and discomfort are normal when your wisdom teeth appear, but if you have pain that seems unbearable, see your dentist immediately. Depending on the complexity of the condition, dentists often advise the removal of the wisdom teeth.
Common Problems of the Wisdom Tooth
Misalignment: When wisdom teeth are misaligned, they may be angled toward or away from the second molars, or angled inward or outward. Sometimes, they may position themselves horizontally. Improper alignment of wisdom teeth can damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone or the nerves and crowd the place causing immense pain.
Cavities: Further, as mentioned at the outset, wisdom teeth are located at the far end of the jaw; hence cleaning these molars becomes difficult, thus causing cavities and gum disease.
Mouth Ulcers: Occasionally, due to constant abrasion of the wisdom teeth with the inner cheek, there could be irritation caused to the inner cheek, leading to mouth ulcers.
Partial Eruption: In some cases, the wisdom tooth erupts partially – which commonly occurs due to lack of space. The partially erupted tooth is known as ‘partially impacted wisdom teeth’. The partial eruption of the wisdom tooth can be open to contamination by bacteria that is associated with infection, inflammation, tooth decay, and gum disease, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, etc. These consequences can spread outside of the mouth too, causing other health problems.
Thus, when such severe conditions occur, dentists advocate the removal of the wisdom teeth for better mouth health.
Wisdom tooth extraction procedures, its complications, and recover after the extraction
Wisdom tooth extraction is not as easy as the extraction of any other tooth; it is a challenge to both the doctor and to the patient. Therefore, it is vital for the dentist to inform the patient beforehand about the complications that might occur, in the worst case. For example, there could be a slight chance of nerve injury, but if that occurs, it’s usually a temporary problem. However, with the advancement in medical technology and highly professional doctors, complications are rare to occur.
Recovery and healing takes some time depending on the degree of difficulty of the extraction – an uncomplicated extraction of a fully erupted tooth versus a tooth impacted into the jawbone. During the first 24 -30 hours, you might experience bleeding, facial swelling, severe pain, and a constant headache. But these signs can be kept under control and will be taken care of by your dentist as he will prescribe you some pain relievers.
Most importantly, restrict solid foods and consume liquid diet until all the numbness from anesthesia has worn off. Also avoid alcohol, aerated drinks, and caffeine. If you follow your dentist’s advice correctly, you should start feeling normal and better in 2-3 days after the wisdom tooth extraction
Ultimately, how to manage your wisdom teeth is your decision. If you have any queries or need to discuss your dental health, talk to your dentist and review all your options including wisdom tooth extraction, as this is the first step in making the right choice.
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