Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth may also be referred to as third molars, and often come in during the late teen years or early 20s.  Because the late teens and early 20s was at one point considered to be a time when people become wiser, third molars received the nickname, “wisdom teeth.”  They are no different than any other tooth except that they are the last teeth to erupt, or grow into the mouth.

If wisdom teeth come in cleanly, they cause no problems and can even be useful to the patient. However, wisdom teeth should be removed if they are decayed, cause pain or discomfort, or cause other teeth to shift out of alignment. In many cases, wisdom teeth become impacted if surrounding teeth or bone block them from coming to the surface.   If a patient’s wisdom teeth become impacted, irritation along with pain and swelling can occur.  In this case, extraction is necessary to fix the problem.

X-rays should be taken to analyze the presence and alignment of your wisdom teeth regularly.  You may be advised to have your wisdom teeth extracted even if they aren’t causing any problems.  This helps prevent a more painful extraction in the future.

After your wisdom teeth are extracted, recovery occurs over a 48 to 72 hour time span. It is important to follow all instructions given to you by your dentist in order to avoid any complications after extraction.

Wisdom teeth extraction is a very common procedure that most people have to undergo at some point. The dentists at Pacific Dental Smiles are trained to minimize pain and make you as comfortable as possible.  Local anesthesia is administered to ensure the tooth can be pulled out without any discomfort, and pain medication is prescribed to ease comfort during the recovery process.

If you are looking for a dentist for wisdom teeth removal, contact us in our Anaheim dental office today to schedule an appointment.