What is Wisdom Tooth?
Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. If these teeth are properly aligned, they become a valuable asset, but more often, they are misaligned and required to be removed.
Misalignment of wisdom tooth can adjacent teeth, the jaw bone or even nerves due to their improper positions like be angled toward or away from the second molars, or be angled inward or outward.
Sometimes the wisdom tooth is likely to erupt partially which may allow bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause serious infections leading to pain, swelling, , jaw stiffness, and general illness. If the partially erupted tooth is in the location which is hard to reach making brushing difficult it is likely to decay and result into gum disease.
How Do I Know if I Have Wisdom Teeth?
Your dentist can detect eruption, positioning and alignment of wisdom tooth. Dentist can periodically evaluate your teeth and may also send you to oral surgeon for further evaluation if required. To avoid the pain that wisdom tooth can cause in future, the dentist or oral surgeon can recommend extracting the tooth. Removal is easier in young people, when the wisdom teeth roots are not yet fully developed and the bone is less dense. In older people, recovery and healing time tend to be longer.
How Are Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Whether to extract the wisdom tooth or not depends upon position and stage of development. A wisdom tooth which is completely erupted through the gum can easily be extracted with less pain, but if it is underneath the gum and embedded in the jawbone will require an incision into the gums and then removal of the portion of bone that lies over the tooth. Tooth in such position may be extracted in small sections rather than removed in one piece to minimize the amount of bone that needs to be removed to get the tooth out.
What Happens During Wisdom Teeth Removal?
To remove your wisdom teeth, the teeth and the surrounding tissue will be numbed with a local anesthetic to lead minimal pain — the same type used to numb a tooth prior to having a cavity filled. Your dentist or oral surgeon will decide whether to give the sedative in addition, to control any anxiety. Sedating medications include: nitrous oxide (otherwise known as “laughing gas”), an oral sedative (for example, Valium), or an intravenous sedative (administered via an injection into your veins). If nitrous oxide is given, you will be able to drive yourself home. If any of the other medications is selected, you will need someone to drive you both to and from the appointment.
Where Can I Do Wisdom Teeth Extraction?
To help you deal with pain of your wisdom tooth through proper treatment Dr. Nitin Oswal (MDS) and Dr. Krupali Oswal(MDS) are available at Oswal Dental and Oral Surgery clinic, 164, M.G. Road, 1st floor, behind Talwalkar’s Gym, Camp, Pune- 411001.