WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTION IN MOBILE ALABAMA
At a certain point, your wisdom teeth will come in. For most people, this is around the ages of 17 to 25. When these teeth come in, you will most likely need a wisdom tooth extraction to prevent damage to your surrounding teeth and to ensure your overall oral health.
What Is a Tooth Extraction?
A tooth extraction is a procedure that involves the removal of a tooth or teeth that have become problematic or may cause future damage to healthy teeth. This may be due to a tooth or teeth coming in at the wrong angle, a tooth being infected or a tooth or teeth being broken beyond repair.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that emerge during the late teenage years or the early twenties. These teeth are another set of molars that, due to their location far back in the mouth, do not necessarily aid in chewing efficiency.
Why Would I Need a Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
While for some patients the eruption of wisdom teeth causes little or no damage, for other patients the damage can be more severe. Because of this, many dentists will choose to extract a patient’s wisdom teeth as soon as they begin to emerge.
Some of the issues that wisdom teeth can cause include:
- Pressing against healthy teeth, causing them to migrate.
- Impacting and damaging healthy teeth.
- Encouraging gum disease and tooth decay by coming in at odd angles.
In order to prevent damage, migration, and decay, your dentist will likely remove your wisdom teeth as early as possible.
The Wisdom Tooth Extraction Process
The removal of wisdom teeth begins like most dental procedures—with a trip to the dentist for a checkup or consultation. If you notice your wisdom teeth emerging, set an appointment with your dentist. During a checkup, they may suspect your wisdom teeth are emerging, and from there they will likely take x-rays. Once they confirm the wisdom teeth are coming in, your dentist will set an appointment to remove the wisdom teeth or refer you to an oral surgeon.
During this surgery, your dentist will provide an anesthetic that will allow you to avoid any pain. They will generally provide a stronger anesthetic that will put you into a sleep-like state. These sorts of sedatives also generally cause amnesia, which allows the patient to forget the surgery completely.
Once the procedure is complete, you will still be in an impaired state. Because of this, you’ll need someone to take you home and take care of you until you “wake up” fully from the effects of the sedative.
Speak with Your Dentist
If you notice your wisdom teeth coming in, speak with your dentist about a wisdom tooth extraction. They will set an appointment in which they check to see if your wisdom teeth are ready for removal. They will then set an appointment for your surgery and extraction. If you have any questions about the procedure, speak with your dentist.
If you're interested in talking more about tooth extraction in Mobile, Al, please contact West Mobile Dental Care today.
Interested in learning more about tooth extraction in general? Here's some more reading on smoking after having your teeth extracted.