Wisdom Teeth Extraction (Preservation)

A surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth is known as wisdom teeth extraction. Wisdom teeth include the four adult teeth located at the corners of the back of the mouth on both top and bottom.

When a wisdom tooth does not have a place to grow, it results in pain, infection, or other dental problems. Thus, the dentist suggests extracting those teeth from the mouth.

Reasons for Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Wisdom teeth typically erupt between the ages of 17 to 25. But some people do not get their wisdom teeth at all. Others do, and some get impacted wisdom teeth that do not get enough space to appear and develop normally. They usually grow:

• At an angle towards the second molars
• At an angle towards the rear of the mouth
• At a right angle to the other teeth such that it looks like it’s lying down within the jawbone.
• Straight up like any other teeth but gets trapped within the jawbone.

Problems From Impacted Wisdom Teeth

When dental problems occur because of an impacted wisdom tooth, you likely have to have it removed by your dentist. The dental issues that can arise because of this could include:

• Pain
• Infection or gum disease
• Food and debris gets trapped behind the wisdom tooth
• Tooth decay in the erupted area of wisdom tooth
• A cyst appears around the wisdom tooth
• Damage to the surrounding teeth
• Complications while undergoing orthodontic treatment

Preventive Extraction

It's reasonably difficult to measure the future problem from the impacted wisdom teeth. However, here are some reasons for preventive extractions:

• Wisdom teeth without any symptoms can still get a disease.
• Problem while cleaning the teeth when there is no room for them to erupt.
• Severe complications with wisdom teeth happen less often in young adults.
• Older adults might face inconveniences in dental surgery or even after it.

Risks Involved

Sometimes, wisdom tooth extractions do not result in long-term complications. However, an impacted wisdom tooth is removed surgically by making a cut in the gum tissue and removing it. Occasionally, complications occur that might include:

• Pain in the dry socket or bone exposure after the surgical blood clot is lost from the site of the socket.
• Infection in the socket due to bacteria or trapped particles of food.
• Injuries to nearby teeth, gums, jawbones, nerves, or sinuses.

After a wisdom teeth extraction, you won’t need follow-up dental appointments if you don't want your stitches to be removed, no complications occurred during the procedure, or you don’t experience any persistent problems.

Dr. Mohsena Ahmad D.D.S., FICOI, DICOI offers expert dental care treatments including tooth extraction in San Jose, CA. For more details and consultation call us at (408) 275-0768, book online, or visit us at 3540 Union Ave, San Jose, CA 95124.