Have you ever wondered whether or not you need to have your wisdom teeth extracted? Over the years, wisdom tooth extractions have earned a bad reputation. We’ve all had a friend that’s had a horror story about the time when they had their wisdom teeth removed. This may make you a little hesitant to rush to a dentist near you if you ever feel your wisdom teeth acting up.
Now, we believe that the best way to dispel your fear about this is to learn more about wisdom teeth and extractions. To help you out with this, here’s a quick run-through of everything you need to know about wisdom teeth extractions.
When Do Wisdom Teeth Come Out?
First, let’s talk about when wisdom teeth start to emerge. You might be worrying over nothing as it might actually be too early for your wisdom teeth to come out. Typically, wisdom teeth come out between ages 17 and 25, but there are cases where wisdom teeth emerge at around age 14 or 15.
Now, what you have to remember about this is that some wisdom teeth emerge without any issues. This is when they line up with the rest of your other teeth behind your second molars. With that being said, in many cases, they tend to cause complications as your mouth might be too crowded for the wisdom teeth to develop properly.
What Are the Reasons for Extraction?
So, how do dentists determine whether or not a wisdom tooth has to be extracted? Well, the main thing they’ll be examining is if the tooth is impacted.
If your wisdom tooth is impacted, meaning that it hasn’t completely emerged from your gums, dentists will usually push for an extraction. This is because impacted wisdom teeth can cause a slew of different issues, such as gum disease and even infection.
What Should You Know About the Surgery?
Typically, the tales of horrific wisdom teeth extractions are blown way out of proportion. While it is considered a form of oral surgery, there’s really nothing to worry about. All your dentist will do is make an incision on your gum tissue over the impacted tooth so that they can extract it.
While this might sound a little painful, you’ll barely feel a thing as you’ll be administered a local anesthetic to numb the area of the extraction. There are also cases that call for the use of general anesthesia, which means you’ll be asleep for the entire operation. This is usually the case when more than one wisdom tooth has to be extracted.
What to Remember for Post-Surgery Recovery?
While the surgery is quite painless, post-surgery recovery can get slightly tough. Expect to experience some pain and bleeding for the first four days after your surgery. You’ll also have to be really careful with what you eat while you recover, as you’ll want to avoid aggravating the affected area.
We here at the Shallowford Family Dental recommend that you stick with soft food and soup. Soup is a great choice as it’s packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, you won’t be able to live on soup alone. For something a little more filling, we recommend a hearty serving of pasta. Now, we understand that al dente is the best way to cook noodles, but you may want to consider overcooking the noodles a little to make them softer.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we’ve managed to answer any questions you may have about wisdom teeth extractions. If it is time to have your wisdom teeth removed, worry not, and just refer back to this article to help put you at ease. For more questions about the procedure, remember that it is always best to talk to your dentist.
If you’re looking for a dentist in Chattanooga, Shallowford Family Dental is the way to go. We’re rated number one when it comes to general and cosmetic dentistry. Contact us today to book an appointment!