Have you been having pain and discomfort at the back of your jaw? Has your dentist just recommended wisdom teeth removal? It may surprise you to know that this is a fairly common procedure. At least 90% of people need to get all four wisdom teeth extracted, two in the upper jaw and the other two in the lower jaw.
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The molars found in the very back corners of your mouth are called wisdom teeth. They are usually the last teeth to erupt. The average patient develops them in their late teens or early twenties. However, some people never develop wisdom teeth. For others, they may erupt normally and cause no problems – just like your other molars did. However, in many cases, as wisdom teeth grow in, they become impacted and fail to emerge due to a lack of adequate jaw space. If they do grow, they may end up crowding out your other teeth, affecting your natural dental alignment.
Wisdom teeth removal is often suggested when:
Wisdom teeth removal is important when necessary. Otherwise, wisdom teeth can cause swelling, gum soreness and eventually, acute pain. Impacted teeth are very difficult to clean and as such, are vulnerable to tooth decay, recurring infections and may even damage the surrounding bone structure.
To prevent potential future issues, wisdom tooth removal is sometimes suggested even if the impacted teeth aren’t currently posing a problem.
In most cases, wisdom tooth extraction is performed as an outpatient procedure. That means you can go home the same day. You will receive detailed instructions from our dentist on how to prepare prior to and on the day of your procedure. Here is an overview:
Wisdom teeth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more of your wisdom teeth. Depending on the complexity of the situation, removal can be done by an oral surgeon or one of our dentists. Additionally, it can be done under general or local anesthetic. Because each patient’s case is unique, our dentist will first need to take an x-ray before deciding on the best course of action.
Here’s an overview of what our dentist does during the procedure for wisdom teeth extraction:
The procedure times for wisdom teeth removal will vary from patient to patient. While simple procedures can take as little as a few minutes, more complex situations require more time.
The typical recovery window for wisdom tooth removal is 3-4 days, although it can take up to one week to completely heal. The recovery period is largely dependent on how badly your wisdom teeth are impacted, as well as the angle they are growing.
Post-procedure, it’s normal to experience a certain degree of pain and swelling, as well as some bleeding. Before leaving the hospital or dental clinic, you will be asked to:
Give us a call at 403-253-1248 or email us at info@macleodtraildental.ca.
Book An AppointmentGetting your wisdom teeth removed is a common procedure where appropriate steps are taken to keep you as pain-free as possible. During any type of dental procedure – no matter how simple or routine — our Calgary dentist’s first priority is to keep you comfortable and safe.
Before taking your wisdom teeth out, we’ll need to ensure that the areas around them are completely numbed with a local anesthetic. That way you won’t have to feel a thing other than a bit of pressure. However, most people prefer to have some type of dental sedation or general anesthesia to help relax or “tune things out” so to speak.
Most people won’t feel any type of soreness until the anesthesia starts to wear off. By that point, you’ll have a pain management plan in place to keep you comfortable while you heal. If you’re worried about pain from oral surgery, be sure to ask our dentist about the different levels of sedation that are available in our office.
Wisdom teeth tend to start coming in sometime during adolescence and into a person’s young adult years. It can vary greatly from one person to the next. Some individuals may have fully formed third molars on their X-rays by the time they’re 12 or 13, while others are closer to 18 before the wisdom teeth start peeking through the gums.
More often than not, wisdom tooth pain tends to present itself as a dull ache. The swelling or toothache will usually flare up for a while then die back down. In most cases, it isn’t a constant shooting pain in that part of your mouth. That’s why it feels so different than typical toothaches, cavities, and abscessed teeth.
You can tell a wisdom tooth is coming in by the classic “teething” symptoms that young children get. These include sore or itchy gums that might feel better when they’re rubbed or chew on something. At a certain point, a small opening will usually start to form, where the molar will hopefully erupt.
Yes, it’s not unheard of for people with wisdom tooth pain to also experience headaches. Since there is soreness and swelling, it may radiate well into your TMJ and temples, making it appear as if you have a headache. If you’re in so much pain that you clench your teeth tightly together (bruxism), the muscle tension surrounding your jaws can pull at your face and scalp, also causing headaches.
Nausea isn’t common with wisdom tooth development, but it is one of the side effects following oral surgery with sedation. If you’re scheduled to have your wisdom teeth extracted with general anesthesia, you may need to watch what you eat for a day or two. Some people are sensitive to the medication and experience nausea and vomiting as a side-effect. It’s also common for fluids to drip down your throat and into your stomach, leading to nausea during your recovery.
If you’re experiencing chronic headaches and suspect you have wisdom teeth coming in, it’s best to go ahead and have the area examined by a dentist to rule out any complications.
In most cases, wisdom teeth will be completely developed (and finished growing) by the time you’re about 30 years old. Your third molars are the last set of teeth to form, and their nickname is because of how late in life they develop. Usually, the soonest that a wisdom tooth is fully formed is sometime in a person’s mid to late 20s. That’s why it’s so common for the third molars to need to be extracted during the high school and college years.
You might never feel your wisdom teeth growing until they’re almost fully developed. If you’re lucky enough to not experience any wisdom tooth pain in your 20s and early 30s, then you’re probably “off the hook” so to speak. That being said, it’s important to have a dentist examine your third molars to make sure there aren’t any co-existing conditions that might complicate things later (such as bone loss, cavities, or periodontal infections).
Once a wisdom tooth stops growing in your early 30s, it will usually stay in the same position unless a neighbouring tooth falls out or is extracted.
Wisdom teeth are sort of like natures “second chance” when it comes to maintaining enough of the teeth needed for grinding and chewing our food. In ages past, a person’s life expectancy wasn’t as good as what it is today. And there was also the case of dental diseases and tooth loss, due to lack of care.
Today, we don’t rely very much on wisdom teeth. Why? Because we’re able to better maintain the teeth that we do have. But wisdom teeth still develop, and as a result, they can crowd the healthy ones that are still in your mouth. Since wisdom teeth are essentially non-functional in today’s age, and because there usually isn’t any room for them to erupt properly, it’s common to have these extra teeth taken out (extracted) if and when they start to cause problems.
Yes, wisdom teeth can cause ear pain. Your upper wisdom teeth are located closer to your TMJ and ear than any of the other teeth in your mouth. If for any reason they become infected, cause swelling, or you’re clenching your teeth because of the pain, it’s not unheard of to experience referred pain that exhibits itself as TMJ soreness or earaches. In fact, ear pain is a common symptom of TMJ disorder and bruxism (clenching and grinding).
The wisdom tooth itself won’t make your ears hurt. But if you notice significant swelling and soreness in that area of your mouth and it extends into your jaw, face, or ear, then your third molars may have something to do with it.
When you visit our dental clinic in Calgary, we can take a special X-ray that captures your wisdom teeth and the facial anatomy around it. At that point, we can determine if your third molars or TMJ are a possible cause of your ear pain. But if symptoms persist or you’re experiencing fluid buildup in your ears, you may need to see a specialist such as an ENT.
Unless you have serious complications, your dentist may choose to use other methods to help you. For instance, some patients risk nerve damage because of the removal procedure. Accordingly, the dentist may advise that you get root canal treatment to remove the infected pulp. Next, she’ll insert the appropriate fillings so you can have a normal life. If needed, you may receive a course of antibiotics to kill the infection-causing bacteria.
As long as the positioning of the tooth does not potentially cause problems for the remaining dental structure, you can leave it alone. In case the crown is semi-impacted and properly set in the jaw, the oral surgeon may just remove the covering flap of tissue. Do keep in mind that most extractions are done using sedation dentistry to minimize the discomfort.
Here are a few things you can do to shorten your recovery time:
Any discomfort that you experience after oral surgery will tend to gradually improve over the course of the next several days. In most cases, people are much more comfortable by day three or four.
However, there are instances where pain might increase around day three and last through the week. This is usually attributed to a complication known as a dry socket. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid wisdom tooth pain, but it means paying particular attention to any home care instructions and dietary restrictions that you’re given at the time of your procedure.
Pain after wisdom tooth extractions is usually minimal enough that it can be managed with an over the counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) when used as directed. Only in rare situations is a prescription-strength pain medication recommended.
After your wisdom tooth extraction, we usually recommend applying a cold compress on and off of that side of your face every 20 minutes. The cool temperature helps to alleviate swelling, which is one of the most common sources of pain following oral surgery.
Yes, it’s common for wisdom teeth to finish developing sometime in the late 20s to early 30s. If you’ve never had any problems like wisdom tooth pain but you’re suddenly experiencing toothaches or swelling – and you’re around 30 years old – it’s not unheard of to finally need to get your wisdom teeth taken out.
If you’ve made it past age 30 and your wisdom teeth haven’t erupted – and they’re not damaging the teeth next to them – you might be in the clear. But if there are cysts, gum disease, cavities, or pressure against their neighbours, then your wisdom teeth are still at risk of causing more serious dental problems in the future.
Most of what to expect during wisdom tooth removal is planning for any sedation and then keeping comfortable as you heal afterwards.
As far as the sedation, you’ll want to make sure that you have someone to drive you home and stay with you until the medication completely wears off. For most people, this is a family member or a good friend.
Once you get home, you’ll want to have a place to rest with your head elevated, such as a recliner or several pillows behind your back. Having over the counter pain reliever, cold compresses, and soft foods on hand are essential.
Stay hydrated but avoid drinking through a straw or any alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, as these could delay wound healing and increase your chances of getting a dry socket.
In most cases, our Calgary dentist will use a dissolvable suture at your extraction site. However, we may still need to see you within a week to monitor your healing and check for any small bone fragments that may be working their way out.
Around 35% of people never grow wisdom teeth in their entire lifetimes. Various factors like genetics and race can be responsible. If you do have them, you’re likely to see the third set of molars erupting between the ages of 17 to 25. That’s when the dental arch becomes big enough for the teeth to develop.
Depending on the skeletal structure of your face, you may grow the extra set of molars only in the lower jaw. While 20 baby teeth are present in the gums when you’re born, wisdom teeth develop only in adulthood. Many people choose to go in for the extraction procedure just to avoid any problems in the future.
Our dentists use their expertise in general and cosmetic dentistry to provide the best, most caring care possible. They love answering dental questions and finding the right solutions for all of our patients. If you need a new dentist in SW Calgary that you can trust, Macleod Trail Dental is here to help!
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