Wisdom Tooth Removal

It is very important to take care of oral hygiene not just for the betterment of mouth but for the betterment of the entire body. If a person’s mouth is healthy, he/she will be able to live a healthy lifestyle. Not just teeth require proper care; the gums also need proper care.

One such tooth which grows under the gum line much later in life than other teeth is the wisdom tooth. Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars that most people get when they are in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a costly asset to the mouth when they are healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal. When wisdom teeth are not aligned properly, they may be positioning themselves horizontally, be angled towards or away from the second molars, or be angled inward or outward. Poor alignment of wisdom teeth can damage teeth lying next to it, the jawbone and the nerves.

Wisdom teeth also can be impacted i.e. they are enclosed in the soft tissue and the jawbone breaks through or erupts through the gum. Partial eruption of the wisdom teeth allows the bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which causes pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness. Partially erupted teeth are also more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease because of their hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning which makes brushing and flossing difficult.

 

How to detect the presence of wisdom teeth?

The dentist should tell the patient about the positioning of his/her wisdom teeth. He or she may take an X-ray periodically to evaluate the presence and aligning of the wisdom teeth. The dentist may also decide to send the patient to an oral surgeon for further evaluation process.

The dentist or oral surgeon may recommend that the wisdom teeth be extracted even before development of the problems. This is done in order to avoid a more painful or more difficult extraction that might have to be done many years later. Removal is easier in case of young people, when the wisdom teeth roots are not yet fully developed and the bone is less dense. In older people, recovery and healing time tend to be longer than that of young people.

 

Why removal of wisdom tooth is necessary?

1. They cause gum problems. Impacted wisdom teeth crowd other teeth and cause pain and swelling, especially when only they only partially erupt (push themselves up through jawbone and gum tissue into the mouth). Partially erupted (impacted) teeth may lead to infections, cysts or tumors in the gum tissue or jawbone. These are serious problems that negatively affect your overall health. Incompletely erupted teeth can create deep pockets around themselves where bacteria and food can collect and infection can develop.

2. Their growth can cause damage to neighboring teeth. Deep pockets around incompletely erupted teeth create areas where bacterial plaque, calculus and food collect. Cavities on tooth roots may develop in these areas. If cavities do develop on the roots of the neighboring teeth, extraction of the wisdom teeth and the neighboring teeth will likely be required.

3. The position of the tooth hinders jaw movement or affects chewing function in any way. Does the wisdom tooth scrape the soft tissues in your mouth? Does it cause you to bite your cheek? Does food get caught under the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth and cause swollen and/or painful gums that you bite while chewing? These are concerns that need to be addressed to keep you chewing your food well and facilitating digestion.

4. It’s clear they won’t fully erupt and they are either: (1) moving in the direction of neighboring tooth roots or (2) will never come into contact with an opposing tooth. Wisdom teeth do move within the jawbone as they attempt to erupt. If they move in the direction of adjacent tooth roots and put pressure on them, the roots will resorb. This will permanently damage the adjacent tooth and will require either surgery on the affected roots or tooth extraction. Alternatively, if it’s clear that the wisdom tooth will not come into contact with its opposing tooth, it is functionally useless and the risks of keeping it can often outweigh the benefits of keeping it. Conversely, if your wisdom tooth is impacted and not causing harm in any way, it’s best to leave it in place.

5. Procedure to remove wisdom teeth

a) Before the removal- Before the wisdom teeth are pulled, the teeth and the surrounding tissue will be made numb with the help of a local anesthetic i.e. the same type used to numb a tooth prior to having a cavity filled. In addition to the local anesthetic to numb the pain, the patient and the dentist or oral surgeon may decide that a sedative is desired to control any anxiety. Sedating medications that could be selected are: nitrous oxide (also known as "laughing gas"), an oral sedative (for e.g., Valium), or a sedative which is administered via an injection into the veins. If nitrous oxide is given, the patient will be able to drive himself/herself home. If any of the other medications is selected, the patient will need someone to drive him/her both to and from the appointment.

b) After the wisdom teeth are pulled-

1. Bleeding may occur for several hours after tooth extraction.

2. There may be facial swelling.

3. Pain medications must be taken the patient for minor pain.

4. Antibiotics must be taken.

5. The patient must consume light food and avoid alcohol

Cost of wisdom tooth extraction

Simple extraction of a wisdom tooth may cost as less as $99 per tooth. The cost of wisdom teeth that are impacted can cost between $230 and $340 and even more. Because costs vary in different areas of the country, the patient must contact the dentist or oral surgeon for their charges.

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