For many people, at the end of adolescence or after 20 years, the last set of molars (molars) begins to grow. These teeth are called "wisdom teeth".
Wisdom teeth cause a lot of problems for a person, since it is rare that this tooth takes its correct position in the dentition. If the wisdom tooth is located incorrectly, it can grow in different directions – horizontally, left and right, towards the tongue or cheek. This arrangement of the wisdom tooth can damage adjacent teeth, jaw bones, or nerves.
Wisdom tooth extraction. Indications for the procedure
More and more people are interested in the question of the need to remove a wisdom tooth. If the wisdom tooth grows towards the second molar, then it increases the risk of caries in the second molar due to food debris between them. In addition, the wisdom tooth can be located in the thickness of the soft tissues, it can erupt through the gum.
This is how the wisdom tooth becomes "impacted". This term means the full or partial immersion of the tooth in the soft or bone tissues of the jaw.
If the wisdom tooth has not fully erupted, it forms a channel for the penetration of bacteria into the tissue near the tooth. This provokes the development of an infectious process.
With the development of an infectious process after the removal of a wisdom tooth, pain, swelling, and stiffness of the jaws are felt. Such an arrangement of wisdom teeth creates favorable conditions for the development of caries, because their uncomfortable position does not allow for normal dental hygiene.
When is it time to get a wisdom tooth removed?
If a person feels the growth of his wisdom tooth, he should contact the dentist for a check, and also take an x-ray, in which the specialist will see the direction of the tooth growth. If you suspect the wrong growth of the wisdom tooth, the dentist refers the patient to the surgeon – the dentist most likely to suggest wisdom tooth extraction.
This can prevent problems that may be due to improper tooth growth. The removal of a wisdom tooth is much easier to bear when the tooth has just begun to grow, at a young age. Then the wisdom teeth are not yet fully formed. In addition, the surrounding bone tissue is not so dense.
The wisdom tooth may remain completely in the soft tissues or partially break through the gum. But if the wisdom tooth is fully erupted, it can be removed quickly and easily.
If the wisdom tooth is located under the gum or bone tissue, then to remove such a wisdom tooth, the doctor will need to make an incision in the gum area and remove a piece of bone tissue.
Then the removal of the wisdom tooth can be done in small pieces. This is done in order to affect the bone tissue as little as possible.
Wisdom tooth extraction. Procedure technique
Before the wisdom tooth is removed, the surrounding tissues are anesthetized with a local anesthetic. The patient is advised to take sedatives before the procedure.
After the removal of a wisdom tooth, the outcome may be different. During the first day after the removal of a wisdom tooth, bleeding can continue for several hours. You can stop the bleeding from the wound yourself with the help of a gauze swab, which can later be replaced with a tea bag. Tea contains tannic acid, which forms blood clots.
Later days after the removal of the wisdom tooth, the patient is not recommended to rinse his mouth. Avoid "suction" movements (it is forbidden to smoke, drink drinks through a straw). It is also not recommended to drink hot liquids. After all, under the action of temperature, a blood clot can shift and form a "dry socket".
Should I remove a wisdom tooth? Possible complications of the procedure
Feeling the growth of a wisdom tooth, everyone asks the question: “Should I remove a wisdom tooth?”. The answer to this question can be obtained from the dentist by taking an x-ray of the jaw. The specialist must warn about the possible consequences of the procedure and about the methods of dealing with them.
Externally, on the side of the extracted tooth, swelling of the face is observed. To relieve swelling, applying ice for 10 minutes with intervals of 20 minutes is effective. In certain situations, the dentist may prescribe a course of antibacterial drugs that should be taken for a specified period. Also, with a reduced threshold of pain sensitivity, the patient is recommended to take painkillers.
After tooth extraction, as after any other procedure, complications are possible.
- "Dry Hole" - such a complication develops when a blood clot has not formed at the site of the extracted tooth or if the clot has washed out. In this case, the healing process is significantly delayed. The patient can learn about such a complication by feeling pain and an unpleasant smell in the mouth, which was not there before.
- Paresthesia – Wisdom teeth are often located in close proximity to the jaw nerves. When a tooth is removed, these nerves can be affected. In this case, there is numbness of the tongue, lips, chin. This feeling can last for days, weeks, months, and in some rare cases it can stay forever.
The wisdom tooth was invented by nature and is given to man for good. But if it is in the wrong position, the benefit from it is less than the conveniences. Whether to remove a wisdom tooth – decide for the patient. But most dentists approve of wisdom tooth extraction.
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