Wisdom Tooth Surgery
Making “pulling teeth” as painless as possible.
We’re sorry, in some cases your tooth may have to go. Whether it’s wisdom tooth growing sideways or a tooth that had trauma, we hope its an easy experience.
At Tanglin Dental we are here to walk you through the process, from start to finish.
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth in the mouth to erupt, generally between 18 - 21 years old. Most times, it does not grow straight because of a lack of space in the jaw. When a wisdom tooth grows sideways partially, it can cause food trap leading to decay in the healthy tooth in front of it. Wisdom teeth are sometimes also removed to create space for teeth alignments with braces / clear aligners.
WHAT TO EXPECT
At the time of the extraction the doctor will numb your tooth, jawbone, and gums that surround the area with a local anesthetic.
During the extraction process, you will expect to feel pressure but not pain. This is from the process of moving the tooth side to side to allow it to be loosened and ultimately removed.
If you do feel pain at any time during the extraction, please let us know right away!
POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
After tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process.
Bite on a gauze pad for 30 to 45 minutes immediately after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing persists, place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You may have to do this several times to staunch the flow of blood.
Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol or chew on food next to the extraction site for 72 hours. These activities may dislodge or dissolve the clot and hinder the healing process.
Limit vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours, as this increases blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the extraction site.
AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT
After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. An ice pack or an unopened bag of frozen peas or corn applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. Take pain medications as prescribed. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.
Use pain medication as directed.
Call our office if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone.
Drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious, soft food on the day of the extraction. You can eat normally as soon as you are comfortable. The best time to eat ice cream!
It is important to resume your normal dental routine, including brushing and flossing. This will speed up healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.
After a few days you should feel fine, and be able to resume your normal activities. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for two to three days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately.
Normal Extraction
A simple wisdom tooth extraction is mostly used to remove upper and lower wisdom teeth that are visible but not impacted. During this procedure, local anesthetic will be administered so that you will not feel any pain. After that, the dentist will loosen the tooth and extract it.
Surgical removal (medisave claimable)
Impacted Lower Wisdom Tooth needs to be surgically removed if you have these symptoms
Pain at your lower last tooth
Repeated infection of soft tissue behind the lower last tooth
Fluid-filled sacs (cysts)
Tumors
Damage to nearby teeth
Gum disease
Extensive tooth decay
You may be referred to an Oral Surgeon depending on the complexity of your case.
A simple wisdom tooth extraction is mostly used to remove upper and lower wisdom teeth that are visible but not impacted. During this procedure, local anesthetic will be administered so that you will not feel any pain. After that, the dentist will loosen the tooth and extract it.
