Wisdom Teeth Specialist
Expressions in Dentistry
General Dentistry located in Folsom, CA
The appearance of your wisdom teeth can be a painful and frustrating experience. In addition to the pain and tenderness that an impacted wisdom tooth can cause, no one wants their smile to shift out of alignment because of the eruption of teeth they don’t have room for. If you’re experiencing the symptoms of an impacted wisdom tooth, visit Thomas Ludlow, DDS, at Expressions in Dentistry, for a prompt and professional wisdom tooth extraction. Call the office in Folsom, California, today or use the online scheduling tool.
Wisdom Teeth Q&A
What are wisdom teeth?
Your wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last four teeth that appear in your mouth as an adult, usually erupting in the mouth between the ages of 18 and 25.
Some people’s wisdom teeth never erupt at all, and some people have the teeth erupt and move into place without any problems.
However, sometimes the erupting wisdom teeth will not have room to develop and grow into place, causing pain, infection, and a wide variety of other negative consequences.
These are impacted wisdom teeth and removal is necessary. This happens so often that many dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth before they cause any symptoms.
How do I know if I have an impacted wisdom tooth?
Impacted wisdom teeth may erupt partially, or not at all, so it may be difficult to find the tooth that’s causing your symptoms. An impacted wisdom tooth may grow:
- At an odd angle toward the adjacent molar
- At an odd angle toward the back of the mouth
- At a right angle to your other teeth, lying down flat in your mouth
- At the right angle, but stay trapped in the jawbone
Even if you can’t see the tooth causing your symptoms yet, you’ll probably experience pain and tenderness as the teeth come in, and you may develop an infection in your gums.
Cleaning an impacted wisdom tooth can be very difficult, and food or debris can easily become trapped behind it and cause infection.
How are wisdom teeth removed?
Wisdom tooth removal is an extremely common outpatient procedure that takes place under anesthesia. The level of sedation is up to the patient, but you’ll be under local anesthetic, sedation, or general anesthesia during the procedure, so you won’t feel pain or anxiety.
During the procedure, your dentist makes a tiny incision in the gums and exposes the teeth. They may remove them in small pieces, or all at once, and then cleans the site and sutures the gums closed. Usually, people choose to have all their wisdom teeth removed at once, to prevent any future dental issues.
After the procedure, you’ll need to arrange for a ride home from the office. You may experience tenderness, light bleeding, and swelling in the days following your procedure, but your symptoms should disappear once your healing is complete.
If you think you may need your wisdom teeth removed, call Expressions in Dentistry or make an appointment online.