Wisdom tooth extraction, as the name suggests, is a dental surgery to extract wisdom tooth or teeth. In case you don’t know, wisdom teeth are four adult teeth on the top and bottom at the backside.
If a wisdom tooth is impacted (no room to grow), it causes infection, pain, or other dental issues. You may definitely have to undergo wisdom tooth extraction by an oral surgeon or dentist.
To avoid painful problems in the future, wisdom tooth extraction is recommended by some oral surgeons and dentists even if there is no pain or dental problem.
The procedure of Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Here is the procedure your oral surgeon or dentist conducts for a wisdom tooth extraction –
- First of all, tooth and bone is exposed by making a minor cut on the gum tissue
- The bone which causes blockage to the root is removed
- The tooth is split into sections
- Tooth is removed
- All the debris from the bone or tooth are removed in the area of the removed tooth
- The wound is stitched and closed for healing when needed
- The dentist places the gauze on the extraction area to prevent bleeding and form a blood clot
Is Wisdom Tooth Extraction Painful?
A small incision is made in the gum to access the tooth to access the same. The dentist may also have to remove a small part of bone which is covering the tooth.
The tooth is split into smaller parts so a surgeon or dentist can easily remove the tooth through the opening. In case the tooth has come out of the gum, they may not need to make any cut.
However, just before the removal, you might feel a slight pressure. It is because your oral surgeon or dentist has to expand the socket. For doing this, they will rock the tooth back and ahead before removing it.
Don’t worry! You won’t feel any pain as the problem area will be numb when removing wisdom teeth. Tell your oral surgeon or dentist if you are having any pain on the process to get more anesthetic.
What to do after wisdom tooth extraction?
In most of the cases, there is a slight or no pain at all. You might have mild pain or swelling for 3 days or so. It may need just a few weeks to heal properly. After wisdom tooth removal, avoid these things for 24 hours –
- Blood clots help in healing. But it can be affected if you suck the drink through the straw. It loosens blood clots.
- Don’t go hard when you rinse your mouth. It is recommended to rinse your mouth gently through saltwater
- Don’t eat crunchy, hard or sticky foods
- Don’t smoke.
Use these instructions for faster recovery –
- Apply an ice pack to cure swelling or changing skin color.
- Apply moist heat in case of the sore jaw.
- Open and close your mouth gently to exercise the jaw
- Drink a lot of water.
- Eat soft foods like rice, soup, and pasta
- Start brushing teeth on the second day and avoid blood clot areas.
- Take the prescription drugs given by the doctor to relieve swelling and pain.
- Ask your doctor if there is no improvement in swelling or pain or if you get ill.
How Long Does the Process of Wisdom Tooth Extraction last?
The time taken by the wisdom tooth removal varies as per the condition. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. But if the condition is complex, it can take up to 20 minutes.