Wisdom Teeth Removal Specialist

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth are your third set of molars. Unlike your other adult teeth, which erupt when you’re 7-13 years old, your wisdom teeth don’t emerge until the ages of 17-21. As long as you have sufficient room in your jaw and your wisdom teeth erupt correctly, they can help you chew food but this only happens in about 3 percent of the population. The other 97 percent of the population would require extraction of these impacted teeth.

Why would I need wisdom teeth extraction?

One of the most common reasons for wisdom teeth extraction is that you don’t have enough room in your jaw to accommodate the extra teeth. As a result, they push your other teeth together, causing overcrowding, or they can become trapped in your jaw.

Overcrowded teeth are difficult to keep clean as they overlap and provide crevices for bacteria to hide. Flossing is more challenging when your teeth are crowded together.

Additionally, when a tooth gets trapped inside your jaw, or becomes impacted, it can lead to infection, swelling, and pain. Your tooth might partially emerge, or it could end up completely trapped under your gums. Impacted teeth can also cause cysts to form, leading to infection and damage in your jaw, gums, and surrounding teeth.

What happens during wisdom teeth extraction?

The team at Pacific Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Center offers atraumatic tooth extractions whenever possible. However, if your wisdom teeth are impacted, your oral surgeon makes incision into your gums and jaw to release your tooth. They also provide sedation and local anesthetics to ensure your comfort during your procedure.

Exparel is a longer lasting marcaine that is injected into the surgical site at the end of the procedure. This mediation can last for about 24 to 48 hours thereby reducing the amount of pain you will experience after the surgery. This is an optional medication that you can choose to have to minimize the post operative pain you might experience after the wisdom teeth removal. This option is available to you as well at Pacific Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Center.

How should I take care of my teeth after wisdom teeth extraction?

Most patients have some swelling and tenderness after an extraction. Your surgeon might prescribe pain relievers or antibiotics after your surgery.

You should avoid brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth for 24 hours. After a day, you can gently rinse and clean your teeth, taking special care around your extractions.

You might also want to follow a liquid or soft food diet for a couple of days while your mouth heals. Don’t use a straw, however, because the suction can dislodge the clots that form in your sockets.

If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed, call Pacific Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Center or make an appointment online today.