Human ancestors needed a few more teeth in order to grind down plant tissues over 10,000 years ago. Now these vestigial third molars do not exactly have much purpose. Wisdom teeth are the third and last set of molars that most have removed in their late teens or twenties. These teeth can be valuable but are mostly only recognized when it becomes necessary to remove the molars. If not properly aligned or healthy, wisdom teeth can cause other issues. When you are looking for West Hollywood wisdom teeth removal, it is important to consider the experience of the dentist and read about the procedure to understand what will happen.

What are Wisdom Teeth

The third and final molars on each side of the upper and lower parts of the mouth are called wisdom teeth. They can often cause issues like misaligned teeth as they may grow in a horizontal position or push other teeth against one another, causing a need for corrective dentistry.

How Do Wisdom Teeth Come In

Most people will develop four wisdom teeth over time. Each emerges from the upper and lower jaws. If you are planning to use West Hollywood wisdom tooth removal, contacting a dentist can help you see if your wisdom teeth are coming in and causing issues. These typically come in later than other teeth and can cause issues, while others report they have never had their wisdom teeth removed. While human ancestors needed these teeth, new wisdom teeth put pressure on other roots, causing pressure and pain on the jaw’s nerves.

Signs and Symptoms of Wisdom Teeth Removal

The American Dental Association states that wisdom teeth should be checked by a dentist after the age of 16. This is the best way to avoid issues like crooked teeth, disease, or crowding.

To understand if you have issues with your wisdom teeth, check for these signs and symptoms:

• Pain in your lower or upper jaw
• Crooked wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth
• Red or bleeding gums near third molar
• Swollen gums at the back of the mouth

Impacted teeth are connected to the bone and can cause significant pain. If you notice any of these signs near your wisdom teeth, your dentist will likely to perform a wisdom teeth extraction.

Diagnosis and Treatment

A dentist will examine the mouth and take x-rays to determine which teeth have erupted or are impacted. Once a wisdom tooth has erupted, it will need to be removed.

A wisdom tooth extraction can be performed by a dentist with local anesthesia. In this case, your dentist or dental specialist is known as an oral maxillofacial surgeon. However, if teeth are impacted, patients may need a general anesthesia or IV sedation. Oral surgeons will recommend what kind of treatment and anesthesia are important.

Once the tooth is removed, the dentist will ask for the patient to bite down on gauze for 30 to 40 minutes in case of bleeding.

If a tooth is impacted, the surgeon will make an incision to remove the tooth from the gum. The tooth will be removed in a section so that bone removal can be avoided. Pain and swelling may occur from this procedure but normally goes away after two to three days. After surgery, if there is more swelling, bleeding, prolonged severe pain, or fever, then you will want to see a doctor immediately.

If looking for West Hollywood Dentist, it is important to consult with your doctor on what will happen after surgery. Tenderness and swelling in the face and neck are common with wisdom teeth removal. Ice packs and pain medications are often prescribed by dentists to help with recovery.

Complications of Wisdom Teeth Removal

Patients may experience something called dry socket after a tooth is extracted. This is because a blood clot formed in the socket and then seals the area so that it can naturally heal. This may happen during the first week after extraction. If the clot breaks down or becomes dislodged, bone may be exposed, leading to extreme pain from the nerves inside of the exposed gum. If this occurs, patients should seek a dentist immediately to rinse out the area and apply a dressing to help protect the area. This should prevent dry socket from occurring again.

Other Related Issues with Wisdom Teeth

You may experience pericornitis from an infection that occurs when wisdom teeth do not have any room to erupt past the gum line. This means that the tooth may only partially erupt and become stuck. Food and plaque may get lodged into the gum tissue flap where the wisdom teeth has erupted and will become infected. A dentist will have to perform oral surgery to remove and clean the area of infection.