How Do You Imagine Wisdom Teeth Removal?

2018-10-30
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When dentists start talking about wisdom teeth removal, referring to an oral surgeon and healing after the operation, patients may get confused and not know what to expect. The whole process is quite complicated and recovering takes some days as well. In general, wisdom tooth itself is a third molar in the back of the mouth. As a rule, they appear when you are between 17 and 25 and can be spotted with the help of еру X- ray. These are the most common reasons why people remove them:

  • Such teeth are placed back in the mouth and do not have enough space to come out normally. In some cases, they are trapped in gums or jawbones and it may be painful.
  • While growing at the wrong angle they can damage other teeth.
  • Usually, there is no extra space in a jaw for one more set of molars.
  • It is quite difficult to reach them with a toothbrush, which can be a basis for cavities or gum issues.

Preparing for Wisdom Tooth Removal

Preparing for the surgery, ask your dentist the following questions to clear out everything you want to know during that appointment:

  • Tell him other health problems if you have any;
  • Point out the medicine/pills you take regularly;
  • Which anesthesia you’d like to have, because you should be numb or asleep;
  • Plan some time off to heal after the process;
  • Do not be afraid to ask about the surgery.

The operation usually takes approximately up to 45 minutes. To remove painful feelings, you can ask for anesthesia: local, IV sedation or general. Local anesthesia means that the doctor numbs your mouth by injecting Novocain in gums. Among other possible options are the nitrous oxide and laughing gas. IV sedation is when you will have a numb mouth, but additionally, the doctor injects drugs in a vein in the arm. It makes you feel drowsy and fall asleep during the process. General anesthesia requires drugs to be taken through veins or breathe gas in through a mask. You will be asleep during the surgery and 1 hour after the process.

When you go under the anesthesia, the surgeon has to cut gums or bone in order to remove the teeth. He will put some gauze pads in the mouth to soak blood. After that, the dentist stitches wounds, which complements faster healing. As a rule, the stitches dissolve by themselves in a couple of days.

Everyone has a different reaction to the anesthesia. The lightest option is the local anesthesia and if you feel okay after it, you might drive home to recover or proceed to casual activities. But in a case with general anesthesia, you can feel drowsy and might need help to get back home.

You can feel discomfort in your mouth up to a week after the surgery. Full healing requires a few weeks. Your doctor will prescribe some drugs and give general instructions on what to do. These tips may also be helpful:

Do:

  • Ice packs help to curb swelling;
  • Exercise by slowly and gently opening and closing your mouth;
  • Eat soft food;
  • Drinking a lot of liquid is a must;
  • Start brushing teeth the day after the surgery and be extremely careful;
  • Follow doctors’ prescription;
  • In a case, you have fever, pain or swelling – consult your doctor.

Do not:

  • Do not use straws because sucking loosens blood clots, while they are needed for healing;
  • Don’t be too harsh while rinsing;
  • Avoid crunchy, hard or sticky products in your ratio, it can damage wounds;
  • Stop smoking, it also slows down the healing.