You likely know at least one person in your life who has required wisdom tooth extractions in Winnipeg. You may be wondering why this procedure is so common and what benefits it offers. In this blog post, our team at Westend Dental tells you all you need to know about wisdom tooth extractions, including the benefits of the procedure, what it involves, and how it can enhance your oral health.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Most people between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five develop a third set of molars known as wisdom teeth. These teeth can be helpful if they grow incorrectly and in proportion with the rest of the mouth. However, wisdom teeth often grow impacted or misaligned, which is when they need to be removed.
What Problems Can Wisdom Teeth Cause?
If your wisdom teeth begin to erupt in the wrong positions, or if your mouth does not have enough space for them, they can cause crowding or become impacted. This can lead to several oral health issues as they are impossible to keep clean and healthy when they do not erupt fully. If they cause the rest of your teeth to become crowded, they will make it challenging to clean all of your teeth and cause you to have a crooked smile.
Wisdom teeth can also cause:
- Bad smelling breath
- Challenges speaking, biting, and chewing
- Swelling in the face and jaw
- Pain and infection
At our dental office in Winnipeg, we prefer to take a preventative approach when it comes to wisdom teeth and suggest that patients get them removed as early as possible because they are more likely to do more harm than good.
What Are the Benefits of Wisdom Tooth Removal?
There are many benefits to getting wisdom tooth extractions near you, such as:
- Improving your oral health
- Preventing damage to surrounding teeth
- Alleviating pain
- Lowering your risk of infection
- Preventing the need for orthodontic work in the future
What is Involved in Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
When you visit our dental office near you for wisdom tooth extractions, you will first be out under a local or general anesthetic to ensure that you remain comfortable throughout the procedure and do not experience any pain. Next, our dentist will create an incision in your gums to access and remove your wisdom teeth. Once the teeth are removed, our dentist will suture the areas and complete the procedure. The entire procedure takes about twenty to forty minutes, depending on the complexity of your case.
What is Recovery Like?
Most people are able to go home the same day as their procedure. They will need to take it easy for the first 24 hours and be careful not to disturb the extraction site. In the first 24 hours, individuals should avoid:
- Eating hard or chewy foods
- Drinking hot liquids
- Smoking or drinking alcohol
- Strenuous exercise
Your stitches should dissolve within ten days, and your pain should subside within two to three days of the procedure and can be managed with painkillers.
If you are interested in learning more about how wisdom tooth extractions can help your oral health, our team at Westend Dental is happy to help. Don’t hesitate to contact our dental office to book a consultation today.