People usually remove wisdom teeth when they start causing problems in their daily lives. To avoid permanent damage from your wisdom teeth growing in, you’ll need to find an oral surgeon in Las Vegas. An oral surgeon will safely extract your wisdom teeth so that you can feel comfortable eating and going about your day again.
However, getting rid of your wisdom teeth can be a stressful experience. This is a minor surgical procedure that many people feel apprehension about. Please continue reading our guide to getting yourself to relax about your wisdom teeth removal appointment.
How Wisdom Teeth Impact Your Oral Health
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a common procedure that oral surgeons use to remove wisdom teeth. However, this surgical procedure isn’t as invasive as others because part of your teeth has already risen to the surface. Many people don’t need to be made unconscious for their wisdom tooth removal, despite popular belief. You should consult an oral surgeon as soon as you notice any problems with your oral health. If you ignore your wisdom tooth pain, you can experience the following problems.
Difficulty Eating
When your wisdom teeth shift the rest of your teeth, it can cause extreme pain when you eat. Eating is an important function of daily life, and you don’t deserve to feel pain during this process. This pain can come in the form of a chronic ache or sensitivity to temperature that didn’t previously exist. Either way, it’s unpleasant to deal with, and you won’t get rid of this pain if you keep your wisdom teeth.
Prone to Infection
Another huge complication people encounter with wisdom teeth is that they’re prone to infections. This is because the back of your mouth where these teeth grow is extremely difficult to clean, and when your teeth shift around, it causes an open wound. Some oral surgeons will require you to take antibiotics before the surgery if you already have an infection.
Worsening Cavities
If you have a problem with cavities, your wisdom teeth growing in can worsen this issue. It’ll make it difficult to clean between your teeth and wear down the enamel on the backs of your teeth. Your enamel is the most important part of protecting yourself from cavities, so you don’t want to let wisdom teeth wear it down. When your cavities get too bad, it’ll lead to tooth decay which could cause you permanent oral damage. Avoid the situation altogether by getting rid of wisdom teeth as soon as they cause problems.
Damage to Gums
And when your wisdom teeth grow in, it can wreak havoc on your gums because there’s not enough room in your mouth to accommodate them. In addition, after your adult teeth grow, your gums aren’t prepared to grow more teeth. Wisdom teeth appear much later in life than regular adult teeth, which can cause complications for your gums.
Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
So, if wisdom teeth cause so many problems for us, why do we have them? A popular belief is that wisdom teeth grow in our mouths because our ancestors needed them to chew meat. The theory is that they didn’t have common kitchen utensils as we do now to tear apart me on their behalf. Unfortunately, even though wisdom teeth are useless to us now, they still grow because our bodies haven’t evolved past that point.
Is the Removal Permanent?
You’ll be glad to know that wisdom teeth removal is a one-time-only situation. Your wisdom teeth will never grow back after you remove them, so you don’t have to worry about repeat visits to the dentist if you get them all out in one go. However, many people experience wisdom teeth growth at different times.
For example, the top wisdom teeth in your mouth might grow sooner than the bottom ones and require their own surgery. You don’t have to wait for your full set of wisdom teeth to grow in to get a removal. As soon as you experience pain where your wisdom teeth grow, it would be best to visit a dentist for assistance.
Average Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery Time
Most people are apprehensive about wisdom teeth removal because they’re afraid of the recovery process. Fortunately, most people recover from their wisdom teeth removal within two weeks, depending on the situation. To learn more about this possible recovery time, it would be best to communicate with your oral surgeon for further insight.
For example, if something goes wrong during the healing process, it’ll tack on additional recovery time and dental visits. One of the most common reasons people need to go back to the dentist after a wisdom tooth extraction is developing a dry socket. You need to take excellent care of your mouth during the two weeks after oral surgery.
Caring For Your Mouth After Wisdom Teeth Removal
After you visit a Las Vegas oral surgeon for your wisdom teeth removal procedure, you need to take care of your mouth to avoid any complications. Follow these guidelines to ensure you give yourself the best care possible after oral surgery.
- No smoking
- No drinking alcohol
- Avoid getting food in the surgery hole
- Avoid hot drinks like coffee or tea
- Don’t rinse out your mouth
- Don’t spit
- Avoid using straws to drink
Ask your oral surgeon how long you should follow these guidelines based on your procedure. Some people can return to normal eating and drinking habits after 24 hours. However, others need to wait longer in the healing process.
Final Thoughts
Having wisdom teeth removed can seem like an intimidating experience, but it’s not as bad as you expect. However, getting them removed when they cause oral complications is important unless you want symptoms to worsen. Neglecting a necessary wisdom tooth removal can cause permanent damage to your oral health. Visit our oral surgeons at Nevada OMS as soon as you experience wisdom tooth pain.
