Wisdom Teeth Removal: What You Should Know

What’s wise about wisdom teeth is knowing to get them removed before they cause too much pain. That pain can, in fact, be debilitating and impossible to ignore. The good news is that timely wisdom removal by your expert oral surgeon Melbourne FL can save you a lot of grief. The following is a look at just why wisdom teeth eruption is so painful, how treatment can help, and more.

Understanding the Common Pain Caused by Wisdom Teeth

Every year, millions of people go into their local dentist’s office for wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth are the common name for the third and last set of molars. They will generally start coming in during a person’s late teenage years or sometimes in their early twenties. While not everyone will have a problem with these late-blooming teeth, enough do that wisdom teeth are known as a very common dental procedure.

A lot of people ask our dental surgeon Melbourne why, if everyone has them, do wisdom teeth cause us so much pain? Shouldn’t the human body be equipped to handle these third molars since all of us have them? Well, there is some interesting history on that! It’s believed these third molars evolved in the human body back when we operated on a different type of diet. Current research also seems to suggest that children who incorporate a diet similar to the pre-industrial era with a lot of Vitamin D may be less prone to wisdom tooth problems.

Today, due to our diet and other factors, our jaws aren’t always equipped to handle these extra molars and so, when they erupt in the back of the person’s mouth, they cause pain as they try to fit into a space that is not large enough for them. This smaller space often causes abnormal growth, causing them to become what dentists call “impacted”. Impacted wisdom teeth lead to discomfort and can cause other issues. For example, as the growing wisdom teeth try to make room for themselves, they try to force other teeth out of position. This can cause a misalignment of a person’s teeth. A misalignment can lead to a crooked smile and a bad bite.

How Do I Fix Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

The best way to fix impacted and unerupted wisdom teeth is to have them removed. Wisdom teeth removal is a very simple and incredibly common procedure in dentistry. It is, in fact, the most common procedure for many oral surgeons. The process will begin with a general exam in which the oral surgeon will take x-rays to understand the full scope of your oral landscape and determine the best methods for extraction.

Following this initial x-ray and consultation, removal will generally happen in the following steps:

• The dentist or oral surgeon team will administer anesthesia. This may be a local, general, or even sedation anesthesia depending on your comfort level and the seriousness of the impaction.
• The oral surgeon will make a precise incision into the gum tissue. This will expose the tooth and surrounding bone.
• The oral surgeon will then remove any bone that blocks access to the tooth’s roots.
• The oral surgeon will fully remove the tooth, including the roots. This will sometimes require the surgeon to cut and divide the tooth into sections.
• The site will then be cleaned and all bits of bone and tooth removed.
• The surgeon will then carefully stitch the wood to expedite healing.

Schedule Your Wisdom Tooth Removal or Other Procedure Today

Here at Sedaros Oral Surgery, we are proud to provide an array of services that include wisdom teeth extraction in Melbourne, FL. Call our team today to learn more about our services and to schedule your consultation.