Knowing that a person has to have teeth removed can be an incredibly scary prospect. If you’ve been told you have to have wisdom teeth removal, here is something you should expect.
- It's an incredibly common procedure
A lot of people have had wisdom teeth extraction. It occurs when a person is a teen or young adult more often than not, but it can occur whenever deemed necessary. There can be a variety of reasons that they have to come out, including being impacted wisdom teeth, coming in at the wrong angle, your mouth isn’t large enough.
- You can ask questions before the surgery
Wisdom Teeth Removal Near Me is still a pretty major procedure despite being common. You’ll be able to talk to the oral surgeon to ask any questions you may have Before the process begins. If you are taking any medication and you are having any health problems you have to talk about it. At this appointment, you’ll also be able to talk about the kind of anesthesia that will be administered. You may either be numbed out locally or put completely to sleep.
- The surgery isn't too long
Wisdom Teeth Removal surgery takes 30-45 minutes on average. You will be given a local anesthetic during the actual surgery, which may include a shot of Novocain into the gums and nitrous oxide to stay relaxed during the surgery.
If you are being put to sleep during the surgery, this may include being hooked up to an IV that will administer the drugs or they will get into your body through a gas mask. In either case, you’ll be asleep for the entire procedure and may not wake up for an hour or longer after the wisdom teeth extraction.
To get the teeth out, the oral surgeon may have to cut into the bones or the gums. If this happens, stitches will be sewn in to close the wounds. These generally dissolve after a couple of days. You’ll probably also have gauze stuffed into your mouth to absorb the blood that will occur with this procedure.
- After the surgery
How you feel after the surgery will depend on the type of anesthesia you received. If you had a local injection, you may feel well enough to drive yourself home. If you were put to sleep, you will need someone to drive you home.
After the surgery, you will be sore and feel wisdom tooth pain. Again, even though it was simple, it was still a major extraction. Placing ice on your face will help reduce swelling. You may also be advised to use heat and open and close your mouth gently to exercise the muscles in your jaw and keep them loose.
You’ll have to eat soft foods for a while because of the pain. It’s also advised that you drink plenty of fluids and don’t brush your teeth until the next day. You should be given medication for the pain and/or swelling from the doctor, and you should take these as advised.
