It is fair to say that some people luck out with their wisdom teeth: The teeth simply grow out in a routine manner and cause no pain or ongoing problems. For others, there may be intermittent, minor problems but nothing that cannot be lived with. For a third group of people, the pain and misery associated with impacted wisdom teeth can be so bad that wisdom teeth removal becomes the only viable option going forward.
Why “Wisdom” Teeth, And What Causes All The Problems?
Wisdom teeth are the four molars that complete a full set of adult teeth. These teeth are right at the back of the mouth, and they are the last to grow out. Sometimes wisdom teeth come in the teenage years, but many twenty-somethings find themselves experiencing the appearance of their wisdom teeth comparatively late in life, which explains the name given to these teeth.
The wisdom teeth are known as the third molars, most young adults will grow four wisdom teeth, but it’s not uncommon to grow more or less. In the case of extra 3rd molars, they are known as supernumerary teeth.
Because of anomalies in the formation of the bones of the skull as it develops, and also the position of the adjacent teeth, wisdom teeth quite frequently cause problems for their owners. Oftentimes, there is not sufficient room for the wisdom tooth to grow out, and it thus becomes “impacted”, or called “coming in sideways”. This can cause dreadful, chronic pain as well as issues with infections, so wisdom teeth extraction is the default way to deal with these issues.
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal A Biggie?
Naturally, if you are experiencing persistent pain and discomfort with your wisdom teeth, you may wish to grasp the nettle and go for wisdom tooth extraction. Going for this option holds out the promise that you can eliminate the pain and get your life back on track. Nevertheless, many people are scared of the dentist and fear being pitched out of the frying pan into the fire. While such fears are understandable in a way, you should not avoid the issue for fear of what may happen at the dentist.
Nowadays dentists are extremely sympathetic to anxious patients and will do everything in their power to make you feel at ease with the procedure. Rest assured that your dentist is fully equipped to deal with any eventually that may arise during the extraction.
The bottom line is that removing problematic wisdom teeth is generally a straightforward operation for the dentist. You will be given pain relief and the procedure should be over sooner than you might imagine. A good dentist will also take the trouble to explain what is involved at all stages of the job, so as to keep the patient in the loop, rather than leaving them to stew in their own juice.
Complications
Nevertheless, there are a few complications that may emerge with wisdom teeth removal. For one thing, bleeding may be on the heavy side, which can be an alarming thing for patients. Typically, the bleeding abates pretty quickly and the patient may then experience minor bleeding over the next few days before it ceases completely.
The requirement to keep one’s mouth wide open for a long time during wisdom teeth extraction can sometimes lead to a problem that goes by the name of trismus. This manifests as an inability to open one’s mouth fully. If you experience this, you should not be alarmed as the problem will usually ease fairly swiftly.
The third common issue with wisdom tooth removal is “dry socket”. Shortly after the extraction, patients may notice pain in the socket where the tooth was. This can be triggered by sneezing, blowing one’s nose too forcefully, smoking cigarettes, and certain other actions. In some cases, where the problem persists, it may be necessary to go back to the dentist for a fix. The dry socket will be cleaned and packed with medicated filler and a short course of antibiotics may also be prescribed.
Complying fully with your after care instructions should ensure a speedy and healthy recovery from your wisdom tooth removal.
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