Wisdom Tooth Removal

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located in the very back of the mouth. They are the last teeth to grow in, usually between the ages of 17 and 21.

In many people, wisdom teeth are unable to grow in normally. The teeth either become stuck under the gum or are only able to partially break through the gum. Dentists call these teeth impacted. Wisdom teeth usually become impacted because the jaw doesn't have enough space for all the teeth that are growing in or because the tooth comes in at the wrong angle.

Impacted wisdom teeth are fairly common. Although some people never have any trouble with them, impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems. An impacted wisdom tooth can sometimes trap food, plaque, and other debris in the soft tissue around it, leading to swelling, gum tenderness, cavities, and bad breath.

Because they may damage other teeth — or cause pain or infection — dentists or oral surgeons often remove impacted wisdom teeth.

How many wisdom teeth does a person have?

People usually have four wisdom teeth: upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right.

Treatment Plan:

Extraction surgically if problematic,it not like a normal tooth removal, sometimes it requires bone removal(minor surgery) followed by suturing.

Complications:

Generally this is minor surgery,100% repairable,patient can go home after extraction,no need to admit for that,though there are some complications,which are temporary....

  1. bleeding and oozing
  2. temporary swelling: swelling will be there if bone is removed surgically... after few days it will subside.Swelling should not be confused with dry socket, although painful swelling should be expected and is a sign that the healing process is progressing normally. There is no general duration for this problem; the severity and duration of the swelling vary from case to case. The surgeon will tell the patient how long they should expect swelling to last, including when to expect the swelling to peak and when the swelling will start to subside.
  3. temporary restricted jaw movement
  4. dry socket: A dry socket, also known as alveolar osteitis, is a painful inflammation of the alveolar bone (not an infection); it occurs when the blood clot at an extraction site are dislodged, fall out prematurely, or fail to form. In some cases, this is beyond the control of the patient. However, in other cases this happens because the patient has disregarded the instructions given by the surgeon. Smoking, blowing one's nose, spitting, or drinking with a straw in disregard to the surgeon's instructions can cause this, along with other activities that change the pressure inside of the mouth, such as sneezing or playing a musical instrument. The risk of developing a dry socket is greater in smokers, in diabetics, if the patient has had a previous dry socket, in the lower jaw, and following complicated extractions. The extraction site will become irritated and painful, due to inflammation of the bone lining the tooth socket (osteitis). The symptoms are made worse when food debris is trapped in the tooth socket. The patient should contact their surgeon if they suspect that they have a case of dry socket. a painkiller may be prescribed by the surgeon for pain relief. Generally dry sockets are self limiting and heal in a couple of weeks without treatment.
  5. nerve injury