What is an impacted wisdom tooth?
Wisdom teeth may need to be removed for several reasons, such as tooth decay, infection, to make room in the mouth or to prevent damage to the cheek or gum.
What is an impacted wisdom tooth?
Some people never develop their wisdom teeth but not everyone is that lucky. For those who do get them, they will usually erupt normally but there are some who are less fortunate. When the wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt into the mouth or develop normally, they may only erupt partially or not at all.
- Grow at an angle toward the tooth next to it
- Grow at an angle toward the back of the mouth
- Grow at a right angle to the other teeth, it will appear as though the wisdom tooth is “lying down” within the jawbone
- Grow straight up or down like other teeth but remain within the jawbone
When should I extract my wisdom teeth?
The procedure to remove wisdom teeth is a standard one that is recommended even if you are not in pain. This is because wisdom teeth have the potential to cause problems in the future by becoming impacted or stuck. Further reasons to remove your wisdom teeth include:
- They could damage your other teeth being another set of molars that may cause pain when you bite down
- Cysts could form around them and create jaw damage if not treated immediately
- If they are impacted they could lead to serious sinus pain, pressure and congestion
- The tissues around your gum could become inflamed, difficult to clean and sensitive to touch
- Swollen gums caused by impacted wisdom teeth can create pockets between your teeth where bacteria can breed and cause cavities to form
- If there are already too many teeth in your mouth, the impacted wisdom teeth will take up space and can cause problems with jaw alignment, leading to teeth that aren’t straight
What does removing wisdom teeth involve?
At Starbright Dental, we will use x-rays to determine which wisdom tooth/teeth need to be removed. Depending on the complexity of the problem, you may have them extracted in the chair under local anaesthetic or in an operation theatre under a general anaesthetic. We may refer you to an oral surgeon should a theatre operation be required.
What to expect once your wisdoms are removed
After you have had the operation, it is likely that your gums and jaw will be sore, swollen and prone to bleeding for a few days. You may also experience complications such as a dry socket where the site does not heal as it should. Don’t worry though as this can be successfully treated by one of our dental experts. successfully treated by one of our dental experts.
Wisdom teeth removal at Starbright Dental
As with any procedure at Starbright Dental, your care is our number one priority. Having your Wisdom Teeth removed is a fairly uncomfortable procedure to have done and this is why we want you to know that you are in good hands and can relax at our practice. You will receive post-operative instructions to take home after the procedure and these will also be explained in detail by one of our nurses. In true Starbright Dental style, we will give you a call just to check in and see how your recovery is going.
We would love to guide you through the process of having your wisdom teeth removed so call us today to book a consultation so that we can offer you our expert services.