Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Comprehensive Guide to Wisdom Teeth Removal & Extractions at Smile Lab in Dallas,TX
When it’s time to remove wisdom teeth or other teeth, call Smile Lab for a safe, pain-free extraction process. The thought of having wisdom teeth or other teeth removed can be worrying, so choosing a dental professional who will provide gentle, safe, and pain-free oral surgery is essential. The expert team at Smile Lab makes dental extractions easy. Contact us today to learn more about our dental services.
Reason for Tooth Extraction
Smile Lab performs tooth extractions for a variety of reasons, including:
Overcrowding: When there is insufficient space for teeth to grow properly, strategically extracting teeth allows for natural, healthy growth. This frequently occurs at the start of orthodontic therapy.
Injury: When an injury causes irreversible damage to the teeth.
Decay: If the tooth decay is beyond repair.
Serious Gum Disease: Gum disease causes damage to the ligaments and bone that support the tooth.
Impacted Teeth: This term refers to teeth that have not fully grown above the gum. Impaction is a common reason for wisdom tooth extraction, although it can also affect teeth elsewhere in the mouth.
What are
Wisdom Teeth?
The third and final set of molars to appear in an adult’s mouth are known as the wisdom teeth. They are located at the very back of the mouth, behind the last molars, and typically emerge between the ages of 17 and 20. Sometimes, they break through the gums painlessly and cause no issues, in which case they can be treated just like all other teeth.
However, more often, the jaw isn’t large enough to accommodate them. This can cause the wisdom teeth to grow at an angle and push against surrounding teeth, causing damage. Even wisdom teeth that grow in straight can stop growing before they fully emerge from the gumline, leading to infection or tooth decay.
Both of these conditions are known as impactions and can result in serious dental problems. Extracting these impacted teeth is a useful treatment option. Because the teeth are so far back in the jaw, replacing them following extraction is usually not required.
Reason to Extract Wisdom Teeth
- Impaction
- Pain
- Gum infections
- Tumors
- Decay
- Damage to other teeth
Preparation before the procedure
Tooth extractions are only planned when absolutely necessary. To determine this, our dentists will thoroughly inspect your teeth and gums. Our dentist will use X-rays and other diagnostic imaging to look below the gum surface, where the teeth emerge from the jaw bone, for any issues. Prior to the extraction, our dentist and patient will discuss options for bridging the gap or replacing the missing tooth.
Tooth Extraction Procedure
Although it may sound intimidating, patients at Smile Lab rarely experience pain during tooth extractions. A local anesthetic is used to numb the pain during basic extractions, where the tooth is above the gum line and easily removed. For more complicated extractions, a general anesthesia may be required to put the patient to sleep while our dentist performs the procedure.
During a surgical extraction, our dentist pulls the fragile gum tissue that covers the tooth, exposing it. Larger teeth may be broken into fragments for easy removal. A surgical tooth extraction normally takes 20 to 40 minutes.
After the tooth is extracted, our dentist will insert sutures to aid with gum healing. Patients who have undergone general anesthesia will be sent to a recovery room before being released.
Aftercare after Extraction
Your mouth will need to heal following a tooth extraction, and the amount of time depends on the complexity of the dental treatment. Once your mouth has healed sufficiently, restoration can begin. When teeth are overcrowded, braces are often used to guide the remaining teeth into place. If the extraction leaves a space that the natural teeth cannot fill, our staff may replace the excised tooth with dentures, a bridge, or a dental implant.