Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Many patients referred to me for wisdom teeth ask the very reasonable question: why do I need my wisdom teeth out if they are not bothering me?
Why not just wait until the problems arise? Why remove the teeth when they are not causing problems? Because when wisdom teeth cause either infections or pathology, the surgery to remove the wisdom teeth is usually more extensive and more painful. In addition, wisdom teeth can cause infections on the neighboring teeth (second molars) as well, which leads to extra, avoidable dental work. So we generally recommend removing them before any problems emerge.
My recommendation for removing wisdom teeth is having all of them out at once. It takes the same amount of time to heal from having one wisdom tooth extracted as it does to have four wisdom teeth extracted. And the postoperative course is the same. If you have them removed all in one shot, it’s all over with and you can go back to your life. This is what I did for my own children and nieces and nephews, and I would recommend no less for all of my wonderful patients.
When you come in for consultation, I will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and go over your x-rays in detail. We will most likely need a 3D image to evaluate your wisdom teeth, in order to see the relationship between your wisdom teeth and important surrounding anatomy, such as your maxillary sinuses and your mandibular nerves. This is important for me to see so I can safely avoid those structures during the procedure. I will explain why your wisdom teeth need to be extracted, and answer all of your questions so that you can feel comfortable moving forward. I will explain all of your anesthesia options, including local anesthesia, laughing gas, and IV sedation. We also spend some time reviewing the postoperative course and medications and how to be prepared so that it is as smooth as possible.
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