Pulling Wisdom Teeth – The Surgery

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are a source of dental problems for many people. As an emergency dentist in Columbus Ohio, we see our fair share of patients in pain because of their wisdom teeth.

The wisdom teeth are the last four teeth to erupt in the mouth, usually in the teenage years. The biggest problem with wisdom teeth is that many people do not have enough room on the tooth arches for the wisdom teeth to erupt normally. Because they are cramped for room, many wisdom teeth will try to come up at an angle or sideways. When this occurs, it is known as impacted wisdom teeth.

Most dentists recommend that the wisdom teeth be removed as soon as it is evident that they will not come in straight on their own. Because of expense or fear of pain, many people will choose to leave them alone if they are not hurting. This is not always wise. For one, the risk for complications from wisdom tooth extraction surgery greatly increases as the patient ages, especially if the older patient is on medications for other ailments. Secondly, when a wisdom tooth starts to hurt, it usually means that an infection has set in, making the surgery that much more dangerous. And finally, people in their late teens or early twenties heal much, much faster than older patients. The recovery time is much longer in older patients, which can lead to more opportunity for infections and complications.

Wisdom teeth are removed in a surgical operation, usually in the office of a dental surgeon or sometimes even at a hospital. If only one wisdom tooth is being removed, the dentist will apply a local anesthetic to numb the area. If several or all of the wisdom teeth are being removed, a general anesthetic may be administered. This will cause the patient to sleep through the entire procedure. You will typically not eat or drink anything the night before your surgery.

To remove the wisdom teeth, the dentist will cut open the gum tissue and remove any bone surrounding the tooth. He or she will then remove the tooth from any connecting tissue. Sometimes, the tooth has to be broken into small pieces to be more easily removed, especially if it is deeply impacted.

Once the tooth is completely removed, including the roots, the dentist will stitch the area, usually with a dissolving stitch. The area is then packed with cotton gauze to stop the bleeding and the patient is moved to a recovery area. While in recovery, the patient is monitored to make sure the anesthetic is wearing off and there are no obvious complications. The patient will be sent home with instructions on diet, oral care, and medications.

Next week, we will look at the recovery process and the common complications that arise after wisdom tooth extractions.