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WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL

Wisdom teeth removal is the extraction of your third molars — the four permanent adult teeth located in the very back of your mouth, in the upper and lower jaws. Wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 21. Most people have all four of their wisdom teeth. It’s estimated that 5% to 37% of people only have some of their wisdom teeth — or in some cases, none at all.

Why do we have wisdom teeth? Researchers believe that wisdom teeth were necessary for our ancestors, as their diet mostly consisted of hard nuts, crunchy leaves and uncooked meat. Today, however, we eat more cooked food and use forks and knives to cut our food up into smaller pieces. As a result, wisdom teeth are widely regarded as vestigial structures (parts of the human body that have become unnecessary).

How do You know if You need to get my wisdom teeth removed?

Sometimes all four wisdom teeth erupt normally and don’t cause any problems at all. But oftentimes wisdom teeth grow in at an angle or stay fully or partially trapped (impacted) in the jawbone or under the gum tissue. This can cause a range of problems. Lumina’s dentist may recommend wisdom teeth extraction if you:

  • Have dental pain near the back of your mouth.
  • Trap food and debris around your wisdom teeth.
  • Develop gum disease, particularly around your molars.
  • Have tooth decay (cavities) in a partially erupted wisdom tooth.
  • Develop a cyst (fluid-filled sac) around one or more wisdom teeth.
  • Have sustained damage to nearby teeth or surrounding bone.

In many cases, healthcare providers recommend wisdom teeth extraction as a preventative measure. This can help reduce your risk for future problems, including infection and tooth decay.

At what age should You have your wisdom teeth extracted?

People of all ages can have their wisdom teeth removed. However, Lumina’s dentists recommend having them extracted in your late teens or early 20s. During this stage of development, your wisdom teeth are still forming. For this reason, they may be easier to remove with less risk of complications.

Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth — the four permanent adult teeth located at the back corners of your mouth on the top and bottom.

If a wisdom tooth doesn't have room to grow (impacted wisdom tooth), resulting in pain, infection or other dental problems, you'll likely need to have it pulled. Wisdom tooth extraction may be done by a Lumina’s dentist.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last permanent teeth to appear (erupt) in the mouth. These teeth usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Some people never develop wisdom teeth. For others, wisdom teeth erupt normally — just as their other molars did — and cause no problems.

Many people develop impacted wisdom teeth — teeth that don't have enough room to erupt into the mouth or develop normally. Impacted wisdom teeth may erupt only partially or not at all.

An impacted wisdom tooth may:

  • Grow at an angle toward the next tooth (second molar)
  • Grow at an angle toward the back of the mouth
  • Grow at a right angle to the other teeth, as if the wisdom tooth is "lying down" within the jawbone
  • Grow straight up or down like other teeth but stay trapped within the jawbone

You'll likely need your impacted wisdom tooth pulled if it results in problems such as:

  • Pain
  • Trapping food and debris behind the wisdom tooth
  • Infection or gum disease (periodontal disease)
  • Tooth decay in a partially erupted wisdom tooth
  • Damage to a nearby tooth or surrounding bone
  • Development of a fluid-filled sac (cyst) around the wisdom tooth
  • Complications with orthodontic treatments to straighten other teeth

Most wisdom tooth extractions don't result in long-term complications. However, removal of impacted wisdom teeth occasionally requires a surgical approach that involves making an incision in the gum tissue and removing bone. Rarely, complications can include:

  • Painful dry socket, or exposure of bone when the post-surgical blood clot is lost from the site of the surgical wound (socket)
  • Infection in the socket from bacteria or trapped food particles
  • Damage to nearby teeth, nerves, jawbone or sinuses

Lumina’s dentist may perform the procedure. However, if your tooth is deeply impacted or if the extraction requires an in-depth surgical approach, Lumina’s dentist may suggest you see an oral surgeon. In addition to making the area numb with local anaesthetic, your surgeon may suggest sedation to allow you to be more comfortable during the procedure.

Preparing for surgery - A wisdom tooth extraction is almost always performed as an outpatient procedure. This means that you go home the same day.

You'll receive instructions from Lumina Aesthetics Clinic staff on what to do before the surgery and the day of your scheduled surgery.

During the procedure - Lumina’s dentist may use one of one types of anaesthesia that is Local anesthesia. Lumina’s dentist administers local anesthesia with one or more injections near the site of each extraction. Before you receive an injection, Lumina’s dentist will likely apply a substance to your gums to numb them. You're awake during the tooth extraction. Although you'll feel some pressure and movement, you shouldn't experience pain.

During wisdom tooth extraction, Lumina’s dentist:

  • Makes an incision in the gum tissue to expose the tooth and bone
  • Removes bone that blocks access to the tooth root
  • Divides the tooth into sections if it's easier to remove in pieces
  • Removes the tooth
  • Cleans the site of the removed tooth of any debris from the tooth or bone
  • Stitches the wound closed to promote healing, though this isn't always necessary
  • Places gauze over the extraction site to control bleeding and to help a blood clot form

After the procedure --  your brief recovery time is likely in the dental chair.

As you heal from your surgery, follow Lumina’s dentist's instructions on:

  • Bleeding. Some oozing of blood may occur the first day after wisdom tooth removal. Try to avoid excessive spitting so that you don't dislodge the blood clot from the socket. Replace gauze over the extraction site as directed by Lumina’s dentist.
  • Pain management. You may be able to manage pain with an over-the-counter pain reliever, or a prescription pain medication from Lumina’s dentist. Prescription pain medication may be especially helpful if bone has been removed during the procedure. Holding a cold pack against your jaw also may relieve pain.
  • Swelling and bruising. Use an ice pack as directed by Lumina’s dentist. Any swelling of your cheeks usually improves in two or three days. Bruising may take several more days to resolve.
  • Activity. After your surgery, plan to rest for the remainder of the day. Resume normal activities the next day, but for at least a week, avoid strenuous activity that might result in losing the blood clot from the socket.
  • Beverages. Drink lots of water after the surgery. Don't drink alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated or hot beverages in the first 24 hours. Don't drink with a straw for at least a week because the sucking action can dislodge the blood clot from the socket.
  • Food. Eat only soft foods, such as yogurt or applesauce, for the first 24 hours. Start eating semisoft foods when you can tolerate them. Avoid hard, chewy, hot or spicy foods that might get stuck in the socket or irritate the wound.
  • Cleaning your mouth. Don't brush your teeth, rinse your mouth, spit or use mouthwash during the first 24 hours after surgery. Typically you'll be told to resume brushing your teeth after the first 24 hours. Be particularly gentle near the surgical wound when brushing and gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water every two hours and after meals for a week.
  • Tobacco use. If you smoke, don't do so for at least 72 hours after surgery — and wait longer than that if possible. If you chew tobacco, don't use it for at least a week. Using tobacco products after oral surgery can delay healing and increase the risk of complications.
  • Stitches. You may have stitches that dissolve within a few weeks or no stitches at all. If your stitches need to be removed, schedule an appointment to have them taken out.

Call your Lumina’s team if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, which could indicate an infection, nerve damage or other serious complication:

  • Difficulty swallowing or breathing
  • Excessive bleeding
  • Fever
  • Severe pain not relieved by prescribed pain medications
  • Swelling that worsens after two or three days
  • A bad taste in your mouth not removed with saltwater rinsing
  • Pus in or oozing from the socket
  • Persistent numbness or loss of feeling
  • Blood or pus in nasal discharge

We recommend follow up after 7 days to our patient to check the wound and to remove stitches.

For more information you may contact our patient care coordinator at +6281228888837 or +6281210688884 or email to : [email protected].

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