When you or a member of your family is approaching adulthood, this could mean the arrival of the wisdom teeth, also known as third molars. Without treatment, this could cause serious issues with the appearance and health of your smile. But your El Paso, TX, dentists can prevent this with a tooth extraction.
The Arrival of Your Wisdom Teeth
As we approach our late teens and our early 20s, up to four new teeth could erupt in the rear of the mouth. In some cases, these pose no risk to the smile, but for many they could cause a host of serious complications. Since there is little room for them, misalignment could develop that alters your smile’s appearance and health in a negative way. The changes in balance could lead to complications like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding), and they could only partially erupt, causing a painful impaction. Your smile could be at risk for damaged teeth and infection as well. To help prevent these issues, we recommend removing the wisdom teeth before they have a chance to erupt.
Preparing Your Smile
To get started, our team will carefully examine your smile with digital x-rays. These allow us to identify the position of the wisdom teeth and to plan the treatment with precision and accuracy. We will numb the area with a local anesthetic, and we also have dental sedation, including nitrous oxide, oral sedation, and IV sedation, to help you enter a calm and relaxed state with little or no memory of the procedure afterwards. We want to ensure this is a comfortable experience for you, and one we can complete without complication.
Extraction
When you’re ready, our team will gently open the gums above these teeth, and then use forceps to reach and remove them entirely. The area is then sutured closed, and a friend or family member can take you home. Once you’re home, you can follow our aftercare instructions. You should rest for a day, take any prescribed medications, and be very gentle when you brush and floss. Eat only soft foods, and don’t prod the extraction sites with your tongue. A clot needs to form and we don’t want you to dislodge it and cause dry socket. We can remove sutures in a follow up visit!
If you have any questions about the process of extracting wisdom teeth, then contact our team today to learn more. We’re ready to help you safeguard your smile!
TALK TO SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO, TX, ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTION
We want to help you avoid the complications of your wisdom teeth. If you’re ready to schedule a visit to address your third molars, then contact our Sunny Smiles location on N Zaragoza Rd in El Paso, TX at 915-849-9000.