Oral Surgery

For Wisdom Teeth Removal

You wisdom teeth (or third molars to be technical) are typically the last teeth to erupt in your mouth.

Most people elect to remove their wisdom teeth in their teen years, however if they are healthy and not crowding your other teeth, your wisdom teeth can be useful. The primary reason for their removal if they are healthy, is because they may compromise orthodontic treatment by crowding your mouth and therefore shifting your straight teeth. Also, a fully erupted wisdom tooth can be very hard to clean and may become severely decayed. In these instances, they must be removed in order to maintain oral health.

Extraction is almost always recommended for your wisdom teeth if they only partially erupt or become impacted. This can often cause swelling, pain and even infection of the surrounding gum. In these cases wisdom teeth can also put pressure on the adjacent teeth just like a fully erupted wisdom tooth, which can result in permanent damage to these otherwise healthy teeth and their surrounding bone. Sometimes, impacted or partially impacted wisdom teeth can also lead to the formation of cysts, if you notice swelling or pain in or around your back molars, please do not hesitate to call our office.

How are Teeth Removed?

For simple cases, Dr. Holloway can extract your teeth or your wisdom teeth. For more complex cases an oral surgeon will be referred. At Floss you will be given a local anesthetic so there is no feeling in the area of the extraction and in some cases Doc may elect to administer nitrous oxide gas. Typically, general anesthetic will only be administered by an oral surgeon.

Once the area is numb, Doc uses an elevator, which is a dental instrument that allows her to wiggle the tooth in its socket in order to loosen and cause less trama. After the tooth is loose, it is removed using forceps. In more complicated cases a surgical hand piece is also used to assist with the removal of the tooth.

Common Side Effects of Extractions

There is a slight risk of infection or prolonged bleeding with tooth extraction. The more common side effects are tenderness and dry socket. These are both very treatable and usually subside within a matter of days from treatment.

You will also want to look for any loosening of neighboring teeth or their fillings or crowns and alert Floss right away if you notice any of these symptoms so they can be addressed quickly.