Wisdom Teeth

Dr. Jeffrey Kim

Wisdom tooth removal is a surgical procedure carried out to remove one or more wisdom teeth. Your wisdom teeth are the four permanent adult teeth resting on the top and bottom in the back corners of the mouth.

When a wisdom tooth doesn't have enough room to erupt, it becomes impacted. This results in various dental problems like pain, swelling, and infection. The situation calls for the extraction of the tooth. The process is performed by the dentist or oral surgeon, depending upon the severity of your condition.

Causes of Impacted Wisdom Teeth 

Patients develop impacted wisdom teeth when the teeth do not have enough room to emerge like any other tooth in the mouth. Impacted teeth may either erupt partially or not at all. 

An impacted wisdom tooth may start growing at an angle towards the second molar, which impacts the adjoining teeth and jawbone as well. This type of impacted wisdom tooth leads to a lot of pain and discomfort.

What Are the Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

Upon developing an impacted wisdom tooth, you may face the following problems:

• An impacted wisdom tooth leads to excruciating pain in your mouth.
• Trapped food and debris behind is a common concern with an impacted wisdom tooth.
• This problem may also lead to tooth decay, infection, or gum disease.
• An impacted wisdom tooth may cause damage to the nearby teeth as well as your surrounding bone.
• You cannot opt for orthodontic treatment with an impacted wisdom tooth.

What Is the Procedure for Wisdom Tooth Removal?

Our dentist or oral surgeon will use one of three types of anesthesia depending upon the complexity of your case. During the procedure, we will make an incision into your gum tissue. This process is performed to expose your tooth and bone. Next, the bone that blocks access to the root of the tooth is removed. The dentist will extract the tooth in one firm motion or section it into smaller fragments and remove them individually if necessary.

After the wisdom tooth is extracted, the site is cleaned of any debris from the bone or tooth and sutured to promote quick healing. A piece of gauze is placed on the extraction site to control bleeding and form a clot.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth Aftercare

• We will give your over-the-counter medication to manage pain or swelling caused after the tooth extraction.
• Drink lots of water after tooth extraction. Avoid consuming caffeine or carbonated drinks.
• Eat only soft foods such as mashed rice, cereals, oats, and yogurt.

Please reach out to our dental practice in Flanders, NJ, to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists and learn more about wisdom tooth removal. You can contact our dentist in Flanders, NJ, at (973) 370-8917 or schedule your consultation online.