During your regular dental check-up, your dentist mentioned about the growth of your wisdom tooth. However, he added that you need to undergo a wisdom tooth extraction to save you from the trouble of going through future dental pain.
You might be thinking it’s unnecessary because you’re not experiencing any dental pain at the moment. Yet, your dentist sees in the digital X-ray that your wisdom tooth is impacted; that’s why he needs to remove it. This is a surgical procedure, hence, tooth extraction aftercare is of utmost importance.
A wisdom tooth or third molar usually erupts last, and sometimes it comes out when there’s not enough space in your mouth. There are several scenarios of an impacted wisdom tooth.
- The tooth crown partially comes out from the gums.
- It grows sidewards under the gums, affecting the neighboring tooth.
- It develops a right angle towards the other tooth within the jaw bone.
- The tooth grows straight up yet it remains trapped within the jaw bone.
Knowing the different cases of impaction helps you to understand why your dentist recommends a wisdom tooth extraction.
Why is wisdom tooth extraction necessary?
Dentists always look out for their patients’ best interests and they don’t recommend tooth removal unless it’s the best option. You can be assured that this is safe and pain-free. You will be given a local anesthetic before he starts the extraction procedure. Afterwhich, you will be given tooth extraction aftercare instructions to avoid complications.
Meanwhile, a dentist in Waterloo, Ontario explains the main reasons why wisdom tooth removal is vital.
Avoid sinus tooth pain.
Sinuses are located just above your upper teeth. The inappropriate growth of the upper wisdom tooth may lead to an infection in the sinuses, which causes pain and headaches.
Avert damage in the jaw.
There are cases when cysts develop around the impacted wisdom tooth, and this potentially damages your jaw bone. Although it is usually non-cancerous, yet the oral surgeon still needs to remove the tissues and bones.
Prevent gum inflammation.
Gum inflammation is a common sign that your third molar is impacted. When this happens, it leads to bleeding gums or worse, gum disease. It’s best that you have the molar removed as soon as possible to prevent this from happening.
Ward off cavities in the back teeth.
A partially erupted molar only attracts cavities in these hard to reach areas. The more difficult it is to clean, the more bacteria grow and cause tooth decay. You have to prevent this from happening by scheduling a wisdom tooth extraction with your dentist.
Avoid disrupting teeth alignment.
Wisdom teeth which grow toward the neighboring teeth disrupt proper teeth alignment or cause overcrowding. Hence, these molars should be removed immediately.
After you go through an impacted wisdom tooth removal, you need to see your dentist after three days for a follow up visit. Furthermore, you also need to follow the tooth extraction aftercare tips so you can easily get back onto doing your regular routine.
