When you reach your late teens and early 20s, you may find yourself with new teeth. Known as wisdom teeth, or third molars, these can erupt as we approach adulthood and cause severe problems for your smile. Fortunately, our team can help prevent these dangers by extracting wisdom teeth.
Your Wisdom Teeth
As we approach our adulthood, up to four new teeth can erupt in the rear of our mouth. While our mouths have evolved to comfortably accommodate 28 teeth, this pushes the number to 32 in the same space. As a result, there may not be enough room for them, causing a painful partial eruption known as an impaction. This could lead to misalignment too, changing how the teeth fit together and increasing the risk of malocclusion and poorer oral health. The changes to your bite balance can also strain your jaw joints, so TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding) are more likely as well. People would be vulnerable to infection and damaged teeth too. We want to help you and your family members avoid the potential complications. Which is why we want to remove these teeth before they even erupt!
Planning Treatment
First, our team will conduct an exam with digital x-rays, so we can assess the position of their teeth and their potential impact on your smile. Our team will then decide if you need extraction. If so, we will identify the position of nearby nerve tissues, blood vessels, and sinus cavities to avoid them during the removal process. To keep you comfortable, our team will not only offer a local anesthetic, but sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state, with little to no memory of the procedure. The treatment itself only takes one visit!
The Extraction Process
Once you’re comfortable, our team will open the gums above the wisdom teeth so we can assess and remove them. We do so gently, suturing the area closed afterward. A friend or family member can bring you home, and we will prescribe any necessary medications to keep you comfortable and ensure a complication-free healing period. We can remove sutures in a follow up visit. For the first day, be sure to avoid straws, prodding the site with your tongue, or sold foods. Enjoy soft foods, be gentle when you brush and floss, and rest!
If you have any questions about extracting wisdom teeth, then contact our team today.
TALK TO SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO, TX, ABOUT TREATING YOUR THIRD MOLARS
We want to help protect your smile from the major complications of wisdom tooth eruption. If you’re ready to prevent the arrival of your third molars, then contact our Sunny Smiles location on N Zaragoza Rd in El Paso, TX at 915-849-9000.