Wisdom teeth removal: Reasons, Procedures, Recovery
For the better part of my teenage years, I watched my older sister experience excruciating pain in her teeth. She would go for days with just water and no food accompanied by consistent headaches and discomfort.
We tried a lot of things on her; herbs, over-the-counter drugs, etc. Unfortunately, the teeth started decaying and had a foul smell. We had to visit the dentist who explained that the problem was her wisdom teeth. He removed it.
What is a wisdom tooth? Why was it causing a lot of pain? Can it be removed? Why should it be removed?
Let’s delve in!
What is a wisdom tooth?
This is the part of your teeth that’s part of the Molar class. Other classification of the teeth includes the:
- Incisor
- Canine
- Premolar
The wisdom tooth is often referred to as the “Third Molars”. They are typically 4 in number (2 at the top and 2 at the down) and they are the toughest and widest members of this class.
What makes it different from the rest members of its class is that it comes in late and you can do without them.
what do I mean?
According to experts, the cells that work together to form wisdom teeth are present at birth but they don’t start working till age 7. Then they start forming, but the teeth do not emerge from the gum till the late teenage ages or early adulthood (17-25).
Some even get theirs coming in at age 30, no wonder it is named “wisdom” teeth. This is because it is a set of teeth that emerge during adulthood
Why should the wisdom teeth be removed or extracted?
- Impaction: This results when the tooth does not have enough space to emerge from the gum and this is normally due to a small jaw. Due to this lack of space, the teeth grow abnormally away from the rest of the teeth and into the jaw. It can also erupt into the next teeth in its front. Either way, it causes tremendous pain and discomfort, gum disease, tooth decay, and infection.
Impaction is the most leading cause of wisdom teeth removal at its early stages of growth because its resultant effects are too loud to ignore.
Dental experts believe that one is more likely to have issues with these teeth than with any other. Some of these issues include:
- Pericoronitis: Bacteria and Plaque can build up around teeth that are partly out.
- Damage to nearby teeth
- Jaw Damage: this is bone loss around the roots that result from a cyst(a sack of tissue) that grows around it.
- Infection or Cavities: Swollen gums can create pockets between the teeth that help bacteria to grow and cavities to form.
- Abscess: A collection of pus in the or the surrounding tissue as a result of bacterial infection.
- Alignment: impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems with crowding of other teeth and even make treatment to straighten teeth necessary.
How Can It Be Removed?
You can have your wisdom tooth removed in any dental center in Oshawa, ON, or one in your region. There are two major types of procedures involved:
- The Simple Extraction Method is done in the case where the teeth have emerged completely from the gum and it can be done by a dentist.
OR
- The Surgical Extraction Method: it is carried out in a situation where the teeth have not erupted fully or are growing abnormally. This procedure requires the expertise of a qualified dental surgeon as it can lead to serious complications like damage to the nerves that supply sensation to the lip, cheeks, and the areas surrounding them leaving these areas permanently numb.
Benefits Of Wisdom Teeth Extraction
- Prevents or stops tooth pain
- Prevent tooth damage
- Prevents or stops tooth tumor or any other complications
- Stops or prevents headaches
Disadvantage Of Wisdom Teeth Extraction
They are:
1) the expense as the cost of this procedure is on the high side
2) Complications after surgery: the probability of having these complications is high when the teeth are at their late stage of growth or have completed their growth abnormally.
When do I need to have my wisdom teeth removed?
Prevention is better than cure. This is you need to visit your dentist as soon as the growth is noticed.
Routine checks on your teeth are also strongly advised, this is because the pain and the discomfort may come in during the late stage of abnormal growth, and this makes surgery more difficult.
Recovery and self-care
Here are some tips to follow after wisdom teeth removal
- Use painkillers like ibuprofen to help manage the pain
- Don’t smoke or drink alcohol
- Avoid eating or drinking cold or hot food.
- Rest or sleep
Conclusion
Wisdom teeth can be left in place with minimal long-term risk to the patient, while others should be removed to prevent or eliminate the disease. The only way to know for sure is to visit your Oshawa dentist who will evaluate your teeth.