Wisdom teeth are some of the most common types of teeth that are removed. Seeing as how some people don’t even have wisdom teeth, they serve no important purpose. And while wisdom tooth removal is not as severe as orthognathic surgery, which can take between three and five hours, it’s still a serious procedure. So if you have to get your wisdom teeth out, here are a few important things to know.
Wisdom teeth can cause a lot of problems: Wisdom teeth removal is usually done because the wisdom teeth don’t have room to fully grow in the mouth and cause the other teeth to shift. But there is also a wide variety of other problems wisdom teeth can cause, like infection, tooth decay, trapping food, and wisdom tooth pain. If there is even a slight problem with wisdom teeth, most dentists will recommend a tooth extraction.
You should ask your surgeon important questions: Patients should always make sure they have a good understanding of the procedure before their surgery day. To do this, patients may want to ask their surgeon some important questions. Questions about how many teeth need to be removed, what risks are involved, and recovery information are all essential — by asking these types of questions, patients can understand what the tooth extraction procedure is going to involve and how they can best care for their surgical sites after the procedure is done.
Recovering from tooth extraction isn’t always pleasant: Just like with any other surgical procedure, recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction isn’t all that comfortable; you may experience some swelling and bruising. And don’t reach for a cheeseburger or pizza right away. You’re going to need to stick to soft foods, like pudding, smoothies, and mashed potatoes, for the few days following the procedure. You might be in some pain depending on the position of your teeth and how easy they were to remove, but you should be back to normal within a week or so.
Getting your wisdom teeth removed is nothing to be nervous about — just keep this information in mind and choose a reputable oral surgeon to ensure your procedure goes as smoothly as possible.