Third molars are called “wisdom teeth” because they usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 21. Some people grow only two wisdom teeth—the uppers or lowers. These teeth become nuisances if X-rays conclude that one or more have erupted in the wrong position or they’re impacted (your mouth hasn’t enough room for them to grow in properly). In that event, they should be removed.
Capitol Smiles’s state-of-the-art facility gives us the tools to treat our patients with the utmost precision. We combine our knowledge of traditional methods with advanced technology to get the best possible results. Our stellar reputation as dental providers for adults and children is known throughout the area.
If you need a dentist to extract some or all of your wisdom teeth, here’s what to expect. (A dentist usually carries out the extraction process, but complicated situations sometimes require an oral surgeon.)
If all four wisdom teeth need to be removed, you and your dentist will decide if it would be best for the extractions to be done in one appointment—all four at the same time—or two appointments—two at a time. The dentist will inject local anesthesia or perhaps local anesthesia and a sedative such as Valium. Local anesthesia and nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia (informally called “laughing gas” and administered through a face mask) is another option. The gas will relax you but not put you to sleep. Each site will be closed with stitches or left alone to form a blood clot. If you received a sedative, a friend or relative will have to drive you home, or you’ll rest in the dental office until its effects have worn off.
The day of the removals and the next few after, you’ll experience pain, swelling and a bit of bleeding. You’ll also be restricted to extremely soft foods and need to refrain from caffeine, smoking, alcohol and using a straw. Use an ice pack as soon as you want. The dentist will give you antibiotics and prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers with instructions on their use.
You can return to your daily routine the day after surgery but eschew actions (vigorous exercise, spitting and, still, smoking and using a straw) that could disrupt the extraction sites’ stitches and blood clots. You’ll feel better after the third day, and any bleeding and pain will be gone after seven days.
At the office of Capitol Smiles, we pride ourselves on our sophisticated approaches to dentistry. Our main focus is to ensure that all of our patients feel cared for and comfortable. For more information about our office, please don’t hesitate to call for an appointment. You’ll be glad you did!
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