What Happens During Wisdom Teeth Removal?

July 15, 2021 | Dental Blog,Dental Surgery

If you have to get your wisdom teeth removed, you may feel anxious about the upcoming procedure. The removal of your wisdom teeth is a type of oral surgery that is performed in-office. At the right dentist’s office, you can get all of the information that you need about wisdom teeth removal to feel confident and at ease. 

If you wish to speak to a dentist about wisdom teeth removal in detail, contact Dental on Central to schedule an appointment. In the meantime, use this information to get a general idea about what to expect.

Meeting With an Oral Surgeon

Before your wisdom teeth removal surgery, you will meet with an oral surgeon to discuss your particular surgery. At this appointment, you will have the opportunity to ask all of the questions that you have about the wisdom teeth extraction process. Your oral surgeon will also obtain basic information from you, including your medical history, any health issues that you have, any drugs that you are taking and the type of sedation that you prefer.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Surgery

At your scheduled date and time, have someone else drive you to the dentist’s office and be prepared to bring you home afterward. Although you may be able to drive yourself home if the dentist only uses a local anesthetic, most dentists recommend having someone else drive you. You need someone else to drive you if you receive general anesthesia. 

During your surgery, you can expect the following:

1. Anesthetic. You will receive the type of anesthesia that you decided on; either local, IV sedation or general anesthesia. Local anesthesia numbs the mouth, but you will remain awake during the procedure. Many dentists use this in combination with nitrous oxide to promote relaxation. IV sedation combines a local anesthetic with drugs through an IV to make you drowsy. General anesthesia will make you unconscious throughout the whole procedure.
2. Extraction. Your surgeon will make an incision into your gums and may remove tissue and/or bone to extract the tooth. The surgeon may remove the tooth whole or loosen and section the tooth to remove it in pieces. If you are having multiple wisdom teeth removed at the same time, the surgeon will repeat the process for the other teeth.
3. Sealing the wound. The last step is sealing off the open wound left by tooth extraction if the surgeon had to remove tissue. This may involve using dissolvable stitches to sew the wound shut. Most surgeons will also stuff gauze pads in your mouth to absorb blood.

The entire process should take about 45 minutes. If you are older than 20 and getting your wisdom teeth removed, your oral surgeon may prepare you for potential complications. The roots of your teeth may be long and curved, making the teeth more difficult to extract. They may have also fused with the bone. Your oral surgeon will warn you of these possibilities before your surgery and adjust the procedure accordingly.

The Recovery Process

The recovery time for wisdom teeth removal is an average of three days to a week for pain and swelling and three weeks for total healing. Plan ahead to take the day of your surgery off work so that you can go home and rest after your surgery. You may need multiple days off depending on your pain level and swelling. 

Your dentist can recommend remedies during your recovery, such as painkillers for pain and an ice pack to reduce swelling. Your dentist will also tell you only to eat soft foods, drink plenty of fluids and not to use a straw, as it can dislodge blood clots that help your mouth heal and lead to a complication known as dry socket.

For more information about wisdom teeth removal, contact us to request an appointment with a dentist.