A wisdom teeth are usually removed to either correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future.
If you have any infections removal will usually be delayed until the infection has cleared up. Your dentist may have you take antibiotics to help heal the infection. Before removing a wisdom tooth, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed.
To remove the wisdom tooth we open up the gum tissue over the tooth and take out any bone that is covering the tooth, we than separate the tissue connecting the tooth to the bone and then remove the tooth. Sometimes the dentist will cut the tooth into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove.
After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Some stitches dissolve over time and some have to be removed after a few days. We will tell you whether your stitches need to be removed. A folded cotton gauze pad placed over the wound will help stop the bleeding.
Although permanent teeth were actually meant to last a lifetime, there are a variety of reasons why tooth extraction may actually be needed. A very common reason involves a tooth which is too badly damaged, from trauma or decay, to be repaired. Other reasons include:
Crowding in teeth Sometimes dentists pull teeth to prepare the mouth for orthodontic treatment. The goal of orthodontics is to properly align your teeth, which may not be possible if your teeth are too big for your mouth. Likewise, if a tooth cannot break through the gum (erupt) because there is not room in the mouth for it, your dentist may recommend extracting or removing it.
Infection If tooth decay or damage extends to the pulp — the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels — bacteria in the mouth can enter the pulp, leading to infection. Often this can be corrected with root canal therapy (RCT), but if the infection is so severe that antibiotics or RCT cannot cure it, extraction may be needed to prevent the spread of infection.
Gum Disease If gum disease have caused loosening of the teeth, it may be necessary to the remove the tooth or teeth.
Before pulling the tooth, your dentist will give you an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed.
If the tooth is impacted, the dentist will cut away gum and bone tissue that cover the tooth and then, using forceps, grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth to loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments that hold it in place. Sometimes, a hard-to-pull tooth must be removed in pieces.