Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom Teeth Removal

At Paradise Smiles Dental, Hope Island – we encounter many patients from all over the Gold Coast requiring wisdom tooth removal. It is a common problem which needs immediate attention of the dentist as it can cause severe pain and can emerge at wrong angles, pressing against the existing teeth. Their extraction can help in averting all the problems that can come up in the future. It is a precautionary measure that can save other teeth from getting impacted.

Wisdom teeth often come through the gums in late teens or later, generally being the last permanent teeth to appear. They often come as a set of four, one in each corner of the mouth, although a number of people may not have some or all their wisdom teeth.Some wisdom teeth may remain under the gums without any problems. However, a few that are unable to come through the gums properly will lead to problems, such as continual infections around the back of the jaw.

In many cases, the wisdom teeth don’t have enough space to develop normally in the mouth, so they come out only partially from the gums or do not erupt at all. Such impacted teeth can trap food particles which can lead to infection or gum disease. The ones that come out partially can get decayed or damage the surrounding bone as it is difficult to clean them while brushing. Once problems begin, extraction is advised by your dentist in Hope Island to prevent the infection from spreading.

Wisdom teeth extractions can be difficult than other extractions, mainly because of the fact that they are far back in the mouth and accessing them is difficult. Depending on the position of the wisdom teeth, your dentist can help you in making the right choice about getting the teeth removed on-chair (under local anaesthesia) or in-hospital (under general anaesthesia). If you choose to have them removed on-chair, your dentist will make sure that it is done in the most comfortable way possible.

During the on-chair procedure, the dentist will administer local anaesthesia in the jaw near the extraction point after numbing the gums. You will be able to see the procedure as you will be awake and may feel some pressure in your mouth during the extraction.During the in-hospital procedure, you will be given the general anaesthesia through IV in your arm or medication or a combination of both. It will make you lose consciousness and have no memory of the procedure.

You must inform the oral surgeon or dentists about any other health problems before undergoing the treatment and any medicines that you are taking. You will have to schedule time off from work for the treatment and recovery. Also, you must ask a friend or a family member to accompany you so that they can drive you back home after the procedure.Once the anaesthesia has been administered, our dentist in Hope Island will make a cut in the gum to bring out the tooth and bone.

The practitioner will remove the bone blocking the tooth root and then extract the tooth. He/she will make sure that the pit left behind is devoid of any debris and is cleaned thoroughly. Then the gap will be stitched together to heal the area faster. Finally, the treated part will be covered with gauze to stop the bleeding. You can take out the gauze as per the directions of the dentist and avoid spitting too much as it can open the wound and lead to bleeding.

Your dentist will provide you with a prescription for pain-relieving medicines, and you can use a cold pack to alleviate the discomfort after you reach home. It is also useful in case of swelling of cheeks after the extraction. You should not plan any activities on the day of the treatment and take rest. You can start doing small chores from the next day but stay away from taxing physical activities which can lead to bleeding of the wound. You should not smoke for a week as it can delay the healing process.

You must drink a lot of water and avoid hot and caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, cola etc. for one or two days. You should not use a straw for drinking as it can displace the blood clot. You must only eat soft and pureed food, such as yoghurt and applesauce for the first two days, and then gradually move to semi-solid foods when you are able to use your mouth comfortably for eating, such as pasta and rice. However, do not eat any hard foods or sticky things that can stick to the wound or cause discomfort.

For cleaning your teeth after the procedure, you must follow the instructions of your dentist in Hope Island.You must not brush your teeth for 1-2 days after the surgery and avoid using mouthwash for the same time. Once you resume brushing, you must be careful while moving the bristles so as not to hurt the treated area. You must rinse your mouth after the meals using warm salty water for at least 6-7 days after the removal of the wisdom teeth.

One of the most asked questions is how much time will I need off work? After the wisdom teeth removal, our Gold Coast patients are usually keen to return to normal daily activities. The healing time can vary with extraction difficulty. Also, smokers tend to take longer to heal, and if the extraction is difficult and significant surgery is required, pain and swelling can be present for a few days. We recommend as a general rule of thumb to have 2-3 days off work to recover.

We provide you with written aftercare instructions to ensure a quick recovery and all post-op care is included in our fees.At Paradise Smiles, Hope Island, we will discuss all options with you to ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision regarding your wisdom teeth. Please contact us on (07) 5510 9999 for all your wisdom tooth needs.