Removing Wisdom Teeth Safeguards Your Smile

As people approach their late teens and early 20s, up to four new teeth could erupt in the rear of the smile. These third molars, also known as wisdom teeth, can cause major problems with the health, function, and appearance of the smile. In today’s blog, your Columbia, TN, dentist talks about how we save smiles by extracting wisdom teeth.

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The Risks of Erupting Wisdom Teeth

What happens when your third molars arrive? For some, there is simply no room for them. Since your smile cannot accommodate them, this means they may only be able to partially erupt, creating a painful impaction. They could cause the teeth to shift and create misalignment, which alters the health, function, and appearance of your smile. The eruption of the third molars is also linked to complications like infection and damaged teeth too. To preserve your smile, we could extract the wisdom teeth before they erupt!

Planning Tooth Extraction

To start the process, our team will take detailed digital x-rays of your smile, which use 90% less radiation and provide images instantly chairside, so we can pinpoint the position of these teeth and assess the risk they pose for your smile. Some may only need one or two removed, while others may need all four extracted. Our team will plan the process in detail to ensure we avoid contact with nerve tissues, sinus cavities, or blood vessels. To ensure you are comfortable during the procedure, we will administer a local anesthetic and also offer sedation ensuring you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation, even if you have anxiety or special needs that could complicate treatment otherwise.

Removing Your Third Molars

When we have planned the process in detail and ensure you are comfortable, we will open the gums above the wisdom teeth so we can access them and remove them with a pair of forceps. Following the extraction, we will suture the area closed. You then return home with detailed aftercare instructions to ensure a clot forms and the area heals quickly, so you can return to your normal routine in as little as 24 to 48 hours. We also have prescriptions for medications to make sure the area heals and you stay comfortable for the next day or two.

If you have any questions about how we take on your third molars to keep your smile intact and healthy, or if you want to schedule a visit before school begins for your teen or college student, then reach out to our team today.

Learn More About Wisdom Tooth Extraction with Creekside Family Dentistry!

We are ready to take on your third molars to protect your smile from major complications. Give us a call today at Creekside Family Dentistry in Columbia, TN at (931) 388-3384 to schedule your appointment.