If your wisdom teeth are starting to come in, don’t wait to schedule an appointment with a trusted dentist. Oftentimes, wisdom teeth become impacted, causing more serious oral health problems. Expert surgeon Husam Elias, MD, DMD, FACS, and the team at The Pacific Coast Center for Oral, Facial & Cosmetic Surgery, in Pasadena, California, specialize in safe, effective wisdom teeth removal. If your wisdom teeth are bothering you, request an appointment today by calling the office or clicking the online booking tool.
Wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, are the last of your permanent teeth to come in. They usually break through your gum line sometime between the ages of 17-25.
Because wisdom teeth come in later than all of your other teeth, they’re also more likely to become impacted. If one or more of your wisdom teeth becomes impacted, your Pacific Coast Center for Oral, Facial & Cosmetic Surgery provider will likely recommend an extraction.
Impacted wisdom teeth increase your risk of several different problems, including:
If you have an impacted wisdom tooth, you’re also more likely to develop a cyst (painful, fluid-filled sac) around the base of your tooth.
The team at The Pacific Coast Center for Oral, Facial & Cosmetic Surgery performs wisdom teeth extraction as an outpatient procedure. This means you’re able to return home on the same day as your appointment. However, you’ll need to have a friend or family member drive you home.
Prior to extracting your wisdom teeth, your surgeon administers a local anesthetic to numb your tooth roots and gums. Once the anesthesia sets in, your surgeon carefully uses a pair of forceps to extract each wisdom tooth.
If you have impacted wisdom teeth, surgery might take a little longer. To access impacted wisdom teeth, your surgeon makes a small incision on your gum line, revealing your tooth and jaw bone. Your surgeon separates each impacted tooth into several small pieces, and extracts them one by one, using forceps. No two wisdom teeth extractions are exactly alike, but treatment usually takes 60-90 minutes.
Following wisdom teeth extraction, your surgeon sends you home with a list of recovery instructions, as well as a prescription for painkillers and antibiotics. In the first few days following your operation, it’s perfectly normal to experience some swelling, soreness, and general discomfort.
Make sure to take your prescriptions as prescribed and stick to soft foods such as applesauce, soup, and gelatin. If your pain persists or gets worse, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your surgeon.
To learn more about wisdom teeth extraction, make an appointment with the team at The Pacific Coast Center for Oral, Facial & Cosmetic Surgery by calling the office or clicking the online booking tool today.
