Wisdom Teeth Fort Smith, AR One of the most common procedures we do here at Harper Dental is wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom teeth are a pair of molars that come in much later than your other adult teeth. Typically, patients do not get their wisdom teeth until they are in their mid-teens, and some do not get them until they are in their twenties. Some patients have no problem with their wisdom teeth and live their whole lives with them. Others may never have wisdom teeth come in. However, many of our patients need to have their wisdom teeth extracted for one of several reasons. Common Reasons for Wisdom Tooth RemovalBecause wisdom teeth come in years after the rest of a person’s permanent teeth, there are often complications. First, your mouth may actually not be big enough to accommodate these teeth. Your jaw may be too small to easily make room for additional molars. This can make those teeth come in at wrong angles or even fail to erupt completely. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth are another common reason why we remove these molars. When teeth are impacted, it means they are trapped under the gums. Some may even be stuck in the jawbone. There is no space for these teeth to come in, so the only option is to have a surgical tooth extraction. Impacted wisdom teeth can be painful, which makes removing them even more important.  The Complications of Impacted Wisdom TeethIf your wisdom teeth erupt and there is no space for them, they are likely to be out of alignment with the rest of your teeth. In addition to being painful or changing the way you bite down, this can also put extra pressure on the teeth next to them. Over time, those teeth may end up shifting out of alignment as well, causing additional problems. This can affect your other teeth which may have dental fillings or dental crowns, and thus affect those dental restorations. What to Expect During Wisdom Tooth Removal SurgeryIf we believe you have impacted wisdom teeth or other issues with these molars, we will likely do x-rays first to determine the exact problem. Then we will schedule your oral surgery. Typically, this procedure takes an hour or so, but you will need someone to help you get home and will need a few days of recovery. We will provide you with an anesthetic for the procedure. In some cases, nitrous oxide gas or a numbing local anesthetic is fine, but if we believe the process may be a little more complicated than normal, we may suggest IV sedation. It depends on your overall health and what we need to do. The Recovery Process: Healing After Wisdom Tooth ExtractionTypically, it takes between a week and two weeks to fully heal from this type of oral surgery. You will likely notice some swelling and some discomfort for three or four days after the procedure, but you should not be in pain. You also should not have any excessive bleeding. If you do, you need to contact us right away. We will provide you with information on what to eat and how to take care of your mouth during this time. If you believe your wisdom teeth need to be extracted, please contact Harper Dental as soon as you can to schedule an appointment. This can be a serious issue that needs to be handled quickly. Call us at (479) 431-0280 today. |