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Woodstock General and Implant Dentistry on May 22, 2017

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    The Trouble with Wisdom Teeth

    Woodstock General & Implant Dentistry performs wisdom teeth removal (in addition to other tooth extraction procedures) at their office in the Hudson Valley.

    Wisdom teeth are the four molars at the far back of your upper and lower jaws. They may have served an important role in the mouths of our early ancestors, but today, their development often causes problems for modern humans.

    Wisdom teeth develop after all of the other permanent teeth have settled into position, forming beneath the gums behind our back molars in our teens and early twenties. Sometimes they emerge from the gums without a problem. Other times, the eruption of wisdom teeth can cause damage to the surrounding teeth and invite the bacteria that cause infection.

    As a result, it is often advised that young adults have their wisdom teeth removed before the teeth push their way through the gums. In younger patients, the root of the tooth has not formed and attached, making it easier to remove.

    Wisdom teeth continue to grow into adulthood and take root in the jaw, making extraction more painful if delayed into the patient’s late 20s or after.

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    What are the Steps Involved in the Procedure?

    The wisdom teeth removal procedure takes place in several parts. An x-ray is taken of your mouth that shows the placement of the wisdom teeth. For wisdom teeth that have not emerged, the x-rays will show whether the teeth are impacted. Teeth that are impacted are located below the gum and a thin layer of bone. While normal wisdom teeth can be removed with the relative ease of a standard tooth extraction, impacted teeth are removed one piece at a time after the portion of bone that is covering the tooth has been removed.

    First, an x-ray is taken of your mouth that shows the placement of the wisdom teeth. For wisdom teeth that have not emerged, the x-rays will show whether the teeth are impacted. Teeth that are impacted are located below the gum and a thin layer of bone. While normal wisdom teeth can be removed with the relative ease of a standard tooth extraction, impacted teeth are removed one piece at a time after the portion of bone that is covering the tooth has been removed.

    The day of the wisdom teeth extraction, the area around the teeth will be numbed with a local anesthetic. You may be put under conscious sedation to ease any anxiety that you might otherwise feel during the extraction surgery.

    Once the wisdom teeth have been removed, we will close the gums. You may experience swelling, pain, and some bleeding after the procedure. This is normal and will subside after a few days. An over-the-counter pain reliever will help you cope with pain, while ice packs will reduce the swelling.

    After 24 hours, a warm salt-water rinse after meals may help stimulate the healing process. You should continue to brush your teeth as usual during this time.

    Schedule the Procedure to Fit Your Lifestyle

    At Woodstock General & Implant Dentistry, we recommend you don’t wait until your wisdom teeth cause an issue and affect school, work or your social life. Wisdom teeth removal is a common tooth extraction treatment performed on young adults to help them avoid potential oral health problems.

    If you’re in your late teens or early twenties, it may be just a matter of time before your wisdom teeth cause problems.  Why not schedule a preliminary appointment so we can access your condition and schedule any necessary procedure before it interferes with your commitments or upcoming special occasions?

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