For our teen patients and those in their early 20s, wisdom teeth could pose a serious problem, impacting the alignment and beauty of the smile, and also leading to poor oral health. In order to avoid these major complications, your El Paso, TX, dentists may suggest removing wisdom teeth with an extraction. When should you see us for treatment?
The Dangers of the Third Molars
For a few people, the arrival of the wisdom won’t make a huge difference. However, for most these four additional teeth could begin to crowd the rest of your smile, leading to misalignment and with it, poorer oral health and changes to your smile’s appearance. They could only partially erupt, causing painful impaction that may lead to infections or damaged teeth. Instead of letting these additional teeth have such a negative impact on the health and beauty of your smile, why not let our team simply remove them prior to eruption?
The Extraction Process
We always administer a local anesthetic near the extraction site, and can use dental sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state, with little to no memory of the procedure. We then open the area of the gums above the teeth and remove then gently with forceps. Afterward, we suture the area closed. A friend or family member will need to bring you home, as the sedation takes time to wear off. We will provide detailed aftercare instructions, as well as a prescription for antibiotics. You should avoid strenuous activity for the first day or two, and try to not prod the sutured area with your tongue. Don’t use straws and for the first day, consume soft foods. We will schedule a follow-up to remove the sutures and monitor the healing process.
Other Reasons for Tooth Removal
In addition to removing the third molars, we may recommend a dental extraction to help correct serious misalignment, as removing a tooth could make room to reposition the others. We also take out teeth that have sustained injuries too severe to repair, or if they have advanced infections that could spread to other teeth. For those with periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease, we may have to remove loosened teeth. In situations where this leaves a gap in the smile, we can discuss lifelike prosthetics to ensure you continue to enjoy a full and beautiful smile, such as bridges, partial dentures, dental implants, and more. If you have any questions about the extraction process or about replacing missing teeth, then contact our team today.
SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO PROVIDES ORAL SURGERY
At Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, we can help you preserve your smile’s health and structure with routine care and oral surgery. If you have questions about restorative dental care, then you can contact our N. Zaragoza dental practice by calling 915-849-9000.