Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are the last of the molar teeth, appearing in some people, never showing up in others. They emerge at the age of 17 to 24 years. Up to four wisdom teeth can emerge in a person, one tooth in each corner of the mouth.The Problem with Wisdom Teeth
While wisdom teeth arise without any problem in many people, in some cases there is less space for their growth, in which case they are called impacted wisdom teeth. These impacted teeth can cause problems like:- Pain
- Swelling
- Damage or Infection in the Neighbouring Teeth
- Swollen Gum
- Stiff and Sore Jaw
- Bad taste and Bad Breath
Who Needs to Remove Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Anyone who is having the problems listed above should think of removing their impacted teeth, especially those who suffer:- Infection
- Tumour or Cyst
- Tooth Decay
- Gum Disease around the Impacted Teeth
Treatments
other than Removal
In some people using prescribed
antibiotics brings about temporary relief from symptoms of pain. In certain
cases, cutting back the gum instead of impacted teeth removal works. In
majority of cases, however, impacted wisdom teeth must be removed by
operation.
Operation
for Removal
Most of the patients are operated
upon under local anaesthesia, i.e. numbing the area around the impacted
tooth/teeth. General anaesthesia is given in some cases, in hospitals mostly.
After the anaesthesia casts its effect, a few simple steps are followed to
remove the impacted wisdom teeth:
- Making a small cut in the gum over the impacted tooth
- Removing some bone to make space for lifting the tooth
- Plucking the tooth out
- Putting in stitches to aid healing of the gum
After
the Operation
The patient is allowed to go home
soon as the anaesthesia effect is over. In case of general anaesthesia, it
takes a bit longer and someone needs to accompany the patient home and stay
with him/her for 24 hours. If the patient experiences any of the following
effects, he/she should contact the dentist or a hospital because these indicate
infection or some other complication.
- Bleeding does not stop on applying pressure
- Bleeding continues for above half an hour
- Difficulty in breathing or swallowing
- Continued swelling of the face after the operation for above 3 days
- High body temperature or fever
- Failure of painkillers in relieving severe pain
Side-effects
After the successful removal of
impacted wisdom teeth, some mild and temporary side effects are commonly
experienced. Commonly reported side-effects include:
- Feeling of general sickness owing to anaesthesia effect
- Occasional bleeding from the gums, usually up to 12 hours or more
- Swelling of the face
- Pain and stiffness of the jaw, usually lasting several
days
Other
Complications
Complications are problems occurring
during or after the procedure of teeth removal. In most cases, complications do
not arise. Possible complications can include:
- Excessive bleeding during or soon after the removal of the tooth
- Infection
- Unexpected reaction to the anaesthesia agent
In case of complications, further
treatment is needed like another operation for cessation of bleeding, or using
antibiotics for treating infection.
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