Wisdom Tooth Extraction from Your General Dentist

Your general dentist can remove your wisdom tooth. Some people find their wisdom teeth bothersome. Stopping the pain is often the motivating factor in such a procedure. If you want to know what happens when your general dentist extracts your wisdom tooth, here are the details.

The procedure

The general dentist can perform the wisdom tooth extraction in the clinic. Having the surgery at the hospital is an option. The dentist will recommend this if the patient wants to have all the wisdom teeth pulled out. It may be a suggestion as well if the patient’s risk for complications is high. The dentist will delay the surgery if the patient has dental infections. Antibiotic therapy will clear them up first.

Wisdom tooth extraction starts by numbing the area with a local anesthetic. The general dentist will use a general anesthetic if the patient wants a complete extraction of all wisdom teeth. This type of anesthetic will cause the patient to sleep and prevent pain. The patient will have to abstain from drinking or eating after midnight before the dental surgery.

Impacted wisdom teeth will involve opening up the gum tissue covering the wisdom tooth. The dentist will cut into the gum tissue and take out any piece of bone covering the tooth. Then, the dentist will cut the tissue connecting the jawbone to the tooth. Removal of the wisdom tooth follows. The dentist might cut the tooth into smaller fragments. This allows for the easy removal of the tooth.

Stitches follow after the extraction. The general dentist will remove them after a few days. Other stitches will dissolve on their own. A cotton gauze over the surgical areas will help stop them from bleeding.

After the surgery

Recovery will last for a few days. The general dentist will prescribe pain relievers to help manage the pain and inflammation. Eating or drinking must wait until the numbing fades. The patient must elevate the head with pillows while lying down. Relaxing is an order. Strenuous physical activity will worsen the bleeding.

A liquid or soft diet will allow the wounds to heal better. Using a straw is not advisable. The sucking motion will dislodge the blood clot and prolong healing. Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water a day after the surgery will relieve pain and reduce inflammation. The patient should not smoke until the healing is complete. Smoking slows down blood circulation and introduces bacteria into the mouth.

The patient should avoid rubbing the sites with the tongue. This could dislodge the clots and delay healing. Touching the sites will introduce bacteria and trigger an infection. Daily brushing and flossing must continue with care.

The reasons for extraction

The general dentist may want to correct or prevent dental problems in the future. That is why wisdom tooth extraction must happen. Partial and complete wisdom tooth impaction are strong reasons to remove the tooth. Perpendicular growth of the tooth, infection, and cyst formation are other reasons for this procedure.