Dental Procedures

Wisdom Teeth

Why See Dr. Krauss?

Because the majority of Bakersfield Dental professionals do not have the advanced training and or the specialized equipment to do wisdom teeth extractions they refer their patients to an oral surgeon, even for simple cases. Bakersfield Smile Design takes pride in their state of the art facility and Dr. Krauss’s advanced expertise which enables them to be one of the premier Bakersfield Dental practices that offers wisdom teeth extractions.

Why Would I Need to Extract My Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt in the oral cavity. Very often they are the cause of problems and pain. That’s because their eruption path is longer and more difficult than for other teeth. Sometimes they don’t erupt until a patient is 18-25 years old. Sometimes the space to erupt isn’t enough and the wisdom tooth changes direction and impacts the second molar. This can cause terrible pain and the only way to treat it is to extract the wisdom tooth.

Even when there is enough room for the wisdom tooth to erupt it can still change direction. It can erupt towards the cheek and leave a lesion in it called decubitus lesion, that causes bacterial accumulation and inflammation associated with pain. Sometimes the abnormal erupted tooth injures the muscular tissue causing a lockjaw. Then, the patient can’t open their mouth more then 2 cm and a professional treatment is needed because it a very serious situation.

This is why rather than waiting for a problem to arise, the majority of people have their wisdom teeth extracted as a preventative measure.

How is the Procedure Done?

You will be given you a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and the surrounding area. If the patient has to remove all 4 wisdom teeth general anesthetics will be needed. For impacted wisdom tooth the doctor will incise the soft tissue that surrounds it with a scalpel creating a flap so he can have a better view of the tooth. Sometimes if the tooth is covered with bone he may need to remove it and separating the tooth from the bone. Also sometimes is needed to cut the tooth in pieces to remove it. After the extraction the area left empty can be quite big and you may need stitches. Some doctors even put synthetic bone to fill the cavity and then stitch it. Over the wand is placed cotton gauze to help stop the bleeding and you can go home.

What is the Recovery Like?

Every patient is different and each recovery is mostly determined by how impacted the teeth were before removal. After wisdom teeth removal you may not feel any problems at all but you also have to be prepared because you may experience:

– Pain and swelling in the area surrounding your tooth and sometimes even in the   cheeks if the extraction is difficult and needs surgery

–  Bleeding in the first 24 ours

– Difficulties in opening your mouth

– Damages to dental work like crowns or bridges near the wisdom tooth

– Numbness for at least 4 hours after the surgery

Here are some tips to help you prevent and cooperate with the pain or the discomfort mentioned before.

Keep the gauze in your mouth for at least 1 hour, and do not touch it with your hand because you might contaminate it.If your bleeding persist in noticeable quantity after 24 hour you call the doctor as he can give you advice what to do.
Do not spit with force because this removes the blood clot and the bleeding starts over again.
Don’t lie flat. Put some pillows under your head. Lying in a flat position prolongs the bleeding.
Use ice packs as soon you can, and keep it using them the first 24 hours to avoid or reduce swelling.
Eat soft foods for the next 2-3 days and avoid eating hot foods because the heat may increase bleeding.
Rinse gently with salt water.
If you smoke, reduce as much as you can the quantity of the cigarette in the first 24 hours. Smoking decreases the blood supply and makes it easier for germs to infect.
Don’t forget to brush your teeth, carefully even in the area near the extracted wisdom teeth. Not brushing your teeth will cause plaque to accumulate near the areas and may infect the area.
Do not touch the area with your hands or rubbing it with your tongue. Also stitches may harden so rubbing your tongue against them can lesion it.
In the first 24 hours the prescribed pain killers may help you with any discomfort. You should take one just after you leave the office, so when the effect of the anesthetics diminishes, you can prevent feeling pain and discomfort.

If you have not had your wisdom teeth removed we recommend you schedule an appointment for a consultation today.

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