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Understanding Wisdom Teeth Removal

Understanding Wisdom Teeth Removal

Quite often, a bad wisdom tooth is recommended for extraction based upon a clinical evaluation and information that must be gathered from a panoramic x-ray. Even when the tooth has not erupted through the gums and the bone, or when the tooth is partially lodged into the back corner of the mouth, advanced clinical diagnostic tools can reveal a complete picture regarding the health of the adjacent as well as the impacted wisdom teeth. In fact, without accurate diagnostics, many teens and adults are unaware that they even have problematic wisdom teeth at all.

If the wisdom teeth are so difficult to identify that they may not even be visible to the naked eye, what must the process involve to have them removed?

Start by consulting an oral maxillofacial surgeon to learn more about the health and the position of the teeth in question. A fully erupted wisdom tooth may only require a “simple surgical extraction”, in which the tooth can be grasped with the surgeon’s forceps after it has been sectioned and removed from the socket.

An impacted or unerupted wisdom tooth may require more extensive surgical techniques, in which some of the surrounding bone and gum tissue will be removed in order to expose the underlying tooth. Surgical extractions are performed with great precision in order to preserve the adjacent hard and soft tissues, including the underlying nerve pathways, remaining teeth, and sinus cavities.

Depending upon the extent of the procedure, sutures may be placed at the extraction site, and surgical dressings may be placed, in order to stabilize the tissues and promote healing.

Before the surgery begins, it will be necessary to numb the teeth, gums, and bone with the appropriate anesthesia. This step will ensure that you do not experience any discomfort during the extraction of your wisdom teeth. Sedation is also commonly required in conjunction with a tooth extraction, and many patients are able to fully relax (and even sleep comfortably) throughout the procedure.

For more details about wisdom teeth removal, talk to the wisdom tooth expert, Steven Koos DDS, MD. Call 312-328-9000 and schedule your informative consultation today.

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