For most patients, their mouth simply isn’t built to comfortably hold incoming wisdom teeth. When these teeth attempt to come in, it is possible that they will only break partway through your gums, and they can even place pressure on your other teeth. This pressure can cause these teeth to end up becoming severely crooked, and they may end up developing tooth decay. It is primarily for these reasons that Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry often recommends Bethlehem, PA patients have their wisdom teeth removed. We encourage you to read on to learn more about our wisdom tooth extraction procedure.
Why Is Having Wisdom Teeth Removed Necessary?
Having wisdom teeth removed is seen as a preventative measure. That said, it has also proven helpful in correcting some oral health problems, such as impacted wisdom teeth. Some reasons for why wisdom teeth cause problems when they erupt include:
- Having a jaw that is not large enough to handle wisdom teeth can cause these teeth to become impacted.
- If your wisdom teeth do not fully erupt, they remain stuck partway through your gums, which can cause a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Should this happen, bacteria can get caught under this flap of tissue, resulting in infection.
- Wisdom teeth have the potential to come in crooked, which can place pressure on your other teeth. This will cause your other teeth to become crooked, which will raise your chances of developing problems like tooth decay.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When your wisdom teeth fail to fully erupt, they become “impacted”, a condition that is the main reason why we recommend having wisdom teeth removed before they begin to come in. Some symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include:
- Bad breath
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Pain or tenderness in the gums and jawbone
- Headaches and jaw aches
- Swelling and bleeding in the gums
- Swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck
- An unpleasant taste in the mouth
The Process
Having your wisdom teeth removed is actually a rather simple process. When you arrive at the office, a local anesthetic will be administered in order to numb the extraction area. If you are having all of your wisdom teeth removed at one time, then a general anesthetic may be used instead.
During your procedure, the gum tissue covering your wisdom tooth will be opened up and separated from the tooth. At this point, Dr. Chaudhry will be able to remove your tooth, potentially cutting it into small pieces in order to make its removal easier.
With the tooth removed, stitches will be used to seal up the area for healing. Fortunately, the recovery period for wisdom teeth extraction is fairly short, lasting only a few days. During this time, you will be prescribed pain killers that you will want to be sure to take. Directly after your surgery, you will want to gently bite on gauze until the bleeding stops. Be sure to occasionally change out your gauze pads as they become used. Be sure to not participate in physical activity, use straws, or eat solid foods in the days directly following your surgery.
Schedule Your Wisdom Teeth Removal Consultation Today
Have you noticed the symptoms of an impacted wisdom tooth or would simply like to know the condition of your wisdom teeth? Then we encourage you to contact us here at Lehigh Valley Oral Surgery and Implant Center and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry today. For wisdom teeth removal after-care instructions, please visit our aftercare page.
Ready to get your widsom teeth removed?