Wisdom Teeth Removal

Everyone has generally got two sets of molars in their mouth; last and second last, two on the upper and lower jaws on either side of your mouth. Wisdom teeth are the third set which doesn’t have any function but are kind of vestigial. They generally erupt between 17-25 yrs of age and may wreak havoc in your mouth even if they don’t erupt.

Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt. They have to accommodate themselves in a very crowded space, which may cause them to erupt in an abnormal pattern. Sometimes their orientation is so altered, even inside the bone, that they get impacted or in layman terms, bump into the adjacent tooth. This causes unbearable pain and discomfort.

If it’s erupting in an unusual direction which may cause the adjacent teeth damage, you may need to get them removed even if it is still lying in your jaw bone.

The procedure is generally done under local anesthetic and also general anesthetic if the need be. Talk to your dentist if you are anxious about the surgery and mutually decide the anesthetic to be used based on the pros and cons of each. Although the procedure itself is not painful, you may experience some post-operative discomfort based on how long your surgery took. You should be very cautious with the post-operative instructions given by your dentist. Always follow them to the word.

Your doctor will want to know about your current health status for which you will ask to get some tests done. Also, always tell your doctor about the medications that you are regularly taking. The prognosis of the surgery will not be much affected if you follow all the instructions of your dentist.

If your daily routine doesn’t involve any heavy-lifting or heavy exercise, you may continue your routine, but it is always advisable to have some rest to help you relax. Avoid moving too much and talking too often.

The most common complication of a wisdom tooth extraction is a dry-socket. When the blood clot over your surgical site gets displaced somehow; may be because you used straw or smoked just after the surgery or brushed your teeth vigorously, the underlying bone and nerves get exposed to the oral environment. This causes immense pain. Visit your dentist immediately if you experience bleeding and pain even after three days of the surgery.

Your dentist will place a medication over the exposed socket and very rarely, you may need surgery to pull back your gum tissue over the socket to promote healing.

Avoid rinsing your mouth vigorously for a few days after the surgery. Also, don’t brush or floss vigorously in and around the wound. Don’t check on your wound or try to touch it frequently. Give it time to heal. Never smoke for at least a week after surgery, and the same goes for using the straw as the suction created during smoking or sipping through a straw will create a vacuum in your mouth and pull out the soft clot thus causing dry socket.

-Do not spit the gauze piece out; always pick it up from your mouth and throw it away when your dentist says you to.
-Don’t eat or drink immediately after extraction
-Immediately after you remove the gauze piece, apply some cold pack to the surgical site to reduce swelling and pain since cold will numb the area
-24 hrs after surgery, start warm salt water rinses. You may also use moist heat on the area.
-Do not brush at the site of extraction for up to 3 days post-op and even when you do, avoid vigorous movements.
-Eat soft foods for a few days after surgery such as soups, rice, porridge, puddings, etc.
-Don’t use a straw for drinking
-Keep yourself well hydrated by taking plenty of fluids
-Take your medications on time
-Avoid work for the first 24hrs
-Don’t eat hard or crunchy foods
-Get an appointment with your doctor if your bleeding doesn’t stop or if you are experiencing excessive pain.

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