Painless Wisdom Teeth removal in Potomac. Avoid impacted tooth problems with extraction.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth are the rear molars that come in at the very back of the mouth. Up to four wisdom teeth may come in, two each in the upper and lower jaw. However, not all people have four wisdom teeth. In fact, some people do not have any wisdom teeth at all. Wisdom teeth are unusual in that they grow and erupt from the gum much later than the other permanent teeth. Wisdom teeth may not come in until later adolescence or early adulthood. Because they come in later, some people experience problems with crowding of the preexisting permanent teeth. The wisdom tooth may also grow in at an angle, rather than growing straight. This results in an impacted tooth that does not erupt from the gum. It can be difficult for a patient to know if they have an impacted tooth since it is not visible. The dentist at our Potomac office will typically take an x-ray to diagnose an impacted tooth.

Some signs and symptoms of an impacted tooth are:

-Localized discomfort and/or pain

-Swollen gums or facial tissue

-Stiff feeling in the jaw

-Infection

Problems from an impacted tooth include:

-Crowding of the teeth that can cause the preexisting teeth to shift and have a crooked appearance.

-A partially erupted impacted tooth is harder to clean and easier to trap decay causing bacteria below the gum line.

The typical recommendation for treatment of impacted wisdom teeth is removal of the teeth. Erupted teeth may also need to be removed if they are causing crowding of the preexisting teeth. Wisdom teeth removal may require general anesthetic, especially when the teeth are impacted. Up to four teeth are removed at the same visit to our Potomac dental office. Small stitches at the extraction site may be necessary to decrease the chance of infection. There may be some bleeding both pre and post-surgery. This is often a minor side effect and easily controlled. A small amount of oozing from the extraction site may occur for the next day or so post-surgery. After wisdom teeth removal the patient should avoid smoking, drinking with a straw, or eating hard foods. Consumption of soft foods will be the most comfortable. Soft foods will also help to deter removal of the clot at the site of extraction. If this clot is removed, a condition called “dry sockets” may occur. This can be quite painful and possibly lead to infection of the extraction site.

Good oral hygiene should continue to be practiced post-surgery, although care should be taken to be very gentle with brushing and flossing for the first few days. Rinsing the mouth with warm water or mouth wash can also help to remove food particles and plaque and can initially be more comfortable than brushing and flossing. There may be some swelling around the extraction site for a few days and some discomfort. A pain reliever may be prescribed to help with the discomfort. Placing ice packs on the checks may help to alleviate some of the swelling and discomfort.

If you have further questions about oral surgery contact our office for an appointment.

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Your Dentist 7508 Wisconsin ave. Bethesda MD 20814 tel: 301-760-4550