Owings Mills Dentistry
What is Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Your wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come in within the mouth. If you don’t have enough room for these third molars to come up through the gums, they can become impacted. This means that the wisdom teeth are essentially stuck underneath the gum line and unable to come through without causing severe pain or damage to surrounding teeth. This is why we recommend having impacted or otherwise problematic wisdom teeth removed.
Why would Wisdom Teeth Removal be needed?
If you fail to remove impacted wisdom teeth, you could experience whole-mouth pain and tenderness that is difficult to pinpoint. You might suffer from headaches and frequent ear aches without any notable cause. Your wisdom teeth may even begin to damage surrounding teeth or cause overcrowding that will require months or years of orthodontic treatment. It is best to have these third molars removed as soon as possible to prevent these issues from continuing or getting worse.
Who is a candidate for Wisdom Teeth Removal?
There is no age limit or requirement to have your wisdom teeth removed. In fact, many adults who once ignored their wisdom teeth may need treatment to remove them. It’s never too soon to consider wisdom tooth removal. In fact, the earlier these problem teeth are removed, the less likely they will have an effect on your smile.
What happens during Wisdom Teeth Removal?
The procedure to remove wisdom teeth begins with anesthetic or sedation. This helps to relax you and eliminate pain while the tooth is removed. From there, we will create an incision through the gums and take out the underlying tooth. If the impaction is underneath the bone (known as a bony impaction) a small cut is made through the bone to gain access to the tooth itself. Sutures are placed and the process repeated for any other wisdom teeth. You can expect some minor swelling and pain for a few days to up to a week or two following surgery.
If you’d like to discuss having your wisdom teeth removed, call our office today so that we can get you in for a convenient consultation appointment.