Visit Video : Wisdom Tooth Removal

The procedure often can be done in the dentist's or surgeon's office. You may have the surgery in the hospital, especially if you are having all your wisdom tooth pulled at one time or if you are at high risk for complications.

Different types of wisdom tooth positions

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Procedure

If you have any infections, surgery will usually be delayed until the infection has cleared up. Your dentist may have advice you to take antibiotic to help heal the infection.

Before removing a wisdomtooth , your dentist will give you local anesthesia to numb the area where the tooth will be removed. A general anesthetist may be used, especially if several or all of your wisdom tooth will be removed at the same time.

To remove the wisdom tooth, your dentist will open up the gum tissue over the tooth and take out any bone that is covering the tooth. He or she will separate the tissue connecting the tooth to the bone and then remove the tooth. Sometimes the dentist will cut the tooth into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove.

After the tooth is removed, you may need stiches. Some stitches dissolve over time and some have to be removed after a few days. Your dentist will tell you whether your stitches need to be removed. A folded cotton gauze pad placed over the wound will help stop the bleeding.

Why It Is Done

A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. Some of the problems that can occur when wisdom teeth come in are:

• Your jaw may not be large enough for them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
• Your wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can get trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful. These are signs of infection.
• More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or a cyst.
• • One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side.

How Well It Works

Wisdom tooth removal usually is effective in preventing:

• Crowding of the back teeth.
• A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw (impacted) and never breaking through the gums.
• Red, swollen, and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth that has only partially come in.
• Gum diseases and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth, which may be harder to clean than other teeth, or in the teeth and jaw in the area of the wisdom tooth.