Wisdom teeth, located at the back corners of your mouth, have a tendency to become impacted and poorly positioned in the jaw. Your dentist may recommend removing wisdom teeth in order to prevent future complications such as inflammations in the area affected.
Wisdom teeth often don’t erupt before a person’s early adulthood, sometimes only the tip breaks through the gums, causing pain or infection of the mucogingival membrane. Serious symptoms that require immediate treatment include severe swelling.
Your dentist will use panoramic X-ray images to see the position of wisdom teeth; this is one of the most important diagnostic tools in providing evidence of the necessity of an extraction. In rare cases, such as a root position of the wisdom tooth close to the jaw nerve, three-dimensional imaging such as a DVT scan or CT may also be required.
The impacted tooth is then exposed with special instruments and can be removed pain-free under local anesthesia. In most cases, the gums will be closed with sutures. Pain can be treated with a prescription pain medication given by your oral surgeon.
