Oral Surgery

It may sometimes be necessary to extract a tooth when it is unable to be saved following a root cancel, crown or filling. Before a tooth is removed, the gum tissue around the tooth is numbed with an anesthetic. With the advances made in powerful anesthetics as well as oral sedatives you may experience little, if any, discomfort during and after the procedure. The most common performed tooth extractions are wisdom teeth removal.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Your third molars are  commonly referred to as  "wisdom teeth." They usually  appear in the late teens or early twenties. Wisdom teeth often lack the proper amount of space  in the jaw to erupt fully or even at all. This common condition is called impaction.  This can happen with wisdom teeth or any other teeth that lack the proper space to come through or teeth that simply develop in the wrong place of your jaw and become impacted. If not corrected impacted teeth can cause crowding and damage to adjacent teeth. Symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth may include gum or facial swelling, infection and pain.

In some cases, the wisdom tooth that cannot come through becomes inflamed under the gum tissue and in the jawbone, causing a sac to form around the root of the tooth that then fills with liquid.  If it becomes infected it can cause a cyst or an abscess.  If either of these situations goes untreated, serious damage to the underlying bone and surrounding teeth and tissues can result.

To prevent this from happening, an extraction of one, several or all of the wisdom teeth may be advised. We will  begin by taking a panoramic x-ray which shows all of your teeth (including wisdom teeth) in one picture. This x-ray will aid in our Dr's determining if they can perform the wisdom teeth extractions or if we will need to refer you to a specialist. Either way we will make sure that you receive the best of care with a minimal of discomfort, if any at all.

Post Op Instructions

• Following tooth extractions some bleeding will occur; if the bleeding persists bite down on a gauze pad applying moderate pressure  for approximately half an hour. If the pad becomes soaked with blood, replace it with a clean one as necessary.
• An ice pack can be used to control swelling.
• Drink lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods for the first 24 hours. Avoid hot liquids and foods that are acidic in nature to prevent burning.  Do not drink from a straw, smoke or anything that creates negative pressure which could remove the blood clot that forms and aids in healing your extraction site.
• If you are prescribed Antibiotics, you must continue taking them until your prescription runs out. If you experience mild to moderate pain, and have not been prescribed a medication by your doctor, take an over-the-counter pain reliever that you would take for a headache.
• Small, sharp bone fragments may work up through the gums during healing but can be removed with one trip to the office.

If you have sutures that require removal we will appoint you to return to our office in 7 days for a No Charge suture removal appointment and a quick check to make sure that your tissue is healing properly.