Wisdom teeth removal is a process that can be done to extract such a tooth, or more than one of them. It is frequently done by a dentist, or an oral surgeon. Often, the surgery can be performed in the office of the dentist or surgeon, however, in some instances (such as when it is thought complications may occur) a hospital may be an alternative setting.

Considerations

If the patient is currently going through an infection, then the wisdom teeth removal procedure will generally be held back until after the illness is gone. In women, it may be advantageous to wait until the final week or less of the menstrual cycle, due to the apparently lesser occurrence during that time of a complication called dry socket.

Some individuals will never have problems with their wisdom teeth. In most patients who do run into such issues, they occur anywhere from age 15 up to around 25. People who are age 30 or above are not considered at great risk to develop issues with them. Therefore, if no concerns have come up to that point, it may be unnecessary to actually have them extracted.

While complications of removing the teeth are rare, they can occur. One such condition is alveolar osteitis, which your dentist may refer to as dry socket. Problems with bleeding, infection, and numbness are some of the other possible complications. In general, these issues occur more often when the extracted teeth are in the lower jaw, rather than the upper one.

You may wish to consider whether your medical insurance, if you have it, covers such surgery, as it is not always included in an individual's coverage.

After Surgery

Once the wisdom teeth removal has taken place, a time of recovery over several days is standard. The surgeon or dentist may prescribe analgesics which can be used to reduce the pain. Here are some ideas that may be useful to keep in mind while recovering from the extraction.

Relax as much as possible, as being physically active can lead to more bleeding. While lying down, the head should be held up, rather than being kept level with the rest of the body. This stops the blood from flowing so freely to the site of the surgery. Soft foods should be eaten at first, such as thin, brothy soups, milkshakes, etc. Although it may seem helpful to use a straw to drink that milkshake, doing so should be avoided during the initial days, as the blood clots can be loosened due to this sucking.

Tooth brushing can be continued in a careful manner, however, the location of the surgery should not be brushed for several days while the healing takes place. The tongue and fingers should also not be used to agitate that area. Once the day of the surgery has passed, in the following days a warm salt water mix can be gargled (but do not swallow). This is a simple mixture of 1 cup (8 fl. oz.) of warm water and 1 teaspoon (5 g.) of salt.