Wisdom Teeth Removal by Shelby Dentist. (Video is Somewhat Graphic)

April 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

At The Gentle Dentist we provide all services in general, implant, cosmetic, and sedation dentistry.  Wisdom teeth or third molars usually need to be removed if there is not enough room in the mouth for them to erupt.

There are a couple of necessary steps needed to determine if wisdom teeth need to be extracted or if there is a possibility there will be enough room in the mouth for them to erupt and be functional teeth.

  • A panorex x-ray will show the entire jaw including the sinuses, nerve location, jaw joint and teeth position.  This is an important xray used to see the “big picture” where these vital structures are and it exposes the shape of the roots of wisdom teeth.
  • A dental exam by Dr. Antolak is needed to see how much room is in the actual oral cavity.

If it is determined that the wisdom teeth need to be removed then there are options on how the patient is treated. Either local anesthetic is used alone or is used with Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or conscious sedation.  In this video our patient had only local anesthetic used which allowed him to function normally after the procedure.  Only pressure is felt during the procedure but no sharp or dull pain is felt. As you can see there is great attention to detail in reference to the patient’s level of comfort by The Gentle Dentist and team.

During the procedure Dr. Antolak needed to gain access to the teeth and this required some removal of bone that was lying over the impacted teeth.  After the tooth is removed a silk suture is used to close up the wound and to allow for natural healing.  Over a 4-6 month period of time bone will fill in where the teeth were removed.

The ideal time to have wisdom teeth removed is between 17-25 years old because the roots of the lower wisdom teeth aren’t completely formed. As the root tips form they can wrap around the nerve and the risk of post operative numbness is more likely.  In this video it is pointed out where the impacted teeth are located and their proximity to the nerve.

The summer is the best time to have these removed because those in this age group are out of school and they have ample time to recover.

Potential risks in any wisdom teeth removal include numbness, sinus problems.  These are all due to the closeness of the roots to these structures.  Dry socket which is the loss of the blood clot is also possible.  These can be painful but don’t happen on a regular basis.  If a dry socket does develop we have techniques to aide in pain relief.  Smoking is absolutely the most common reason why the dry sockets develop and complications take place.  Our suggestion is to stop smoking for at least a couple of days before surgery and remain off of them for at least 7 days after.  If that is the case why not just quit completely?… is usually what I say.

In this video that patient’s mother is filming the procedure and she was interested in recording the procedure so others can see and experience what it is like to have their wisdom teeth removed.   The entire procedure took a little over an hour to perform.

If you have questions about wisdom teeth or want an evaluation please call our office at (586)247-3500 or email us at info@Thegentledentist.com

Filed Under: Dental Surgery, Dental Videos Tagged With: , , , , ,

When is it necessary to have wisdom teeth removed?

May 30, 2008 by ·

Wisdom teeth are the third molars and usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. They are commonly extracted when they affect other teeth—Most people have four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have more or fewer.

They are generally thought to be called wisdom teeth because they appear so late—much later than the other teeth, at an age where people are arguably wiser than as a child, when the other teeth erupt.

A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. Wisdom teeth are extracted for two general reasons: either the wisdom teeth have already become impacted, or the wisdom teeth could potentially become problematic if not extracted. Potential problems caused by the presence of properly grown-in wisdom teeth include infections caused by food particles easily trapped in the jaw area behind the wisdom teeth where regular brushing and flossing is difficult and ineffective. Such infections may be frequent, and cause considerable pain and medical danger. Also, it is a wise choice to have them removed if undergoing extensive orthodontic work because once the teeth have come in they could inflict some damage on expensive straightening.

The decision to have your wisdom teeth extracted should be one from an informed position between you and your dentist. Potential complications from surgical extractions include:

· Numbness- This can take place if the nerve is contacted or damaged during the extraction. Permanent numbness of the lip is extremely rare; most of the numb cases return to normal after a couple of months of nerve healing.

· Dry Socket- this is not an infection, but when the blood clot at the extraction site is dislodged or fails to form. This intense pain is usually felt 3-6 days after the procedure. Treatment is done by placing a medicine soaked gauze in the site to reduce the pain until a new clot slowly forms.

· Swelling-This usually maximizes at day 3. Swelling is reduced by applying ice on the side of the face directly after the procedure and for the rest of the day of surgery. Rotate the ice 30 minutes on each side of the face. At day 2-6 use salt water ½ tsp. salt to a glass of warm water 4 times per day. Allow the solution to penetrate into the surgical area to rinse food debris away.

Bleeding-After the teeth are extracted gauze pads should be placed at the extraction sites, and then should be bitten down on with firm and even pressure for the first day. Bleeding and oozing can last a couple of days. If bleeding continues to be a problem, a wet tea bag can be used to enhance clotting.

We at The Gentle Dentist in Shelby Township, Michigan have found that during stressful times when the immune system is functioning at a low level is when wisdom teeth can become the most noticeable. It is recommended that the wisdom teeth be examined for removal when the patient can take off a couple of days to recover from the surgery. If you have any questions please call us at 586-247-3500 or visit our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com .

Filed Under: Dental Emergencies, Dental Surgery, General Dentistry, Mouth pain, Oral Conditions, Sedation Dentistry Tagged With: , , , , ,