Pearls Dental | Specialist dental practice in Castleknock, Maynooth and Smithfield

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Wisdom Tooth Extraction

A tooth extraction is a routine procedure. Wisdom teeth are the third and last big teeth (molars) on each side of the upper and lower jaws – and the last teeth to come through (erupt), usually in your late teens or early twenties.

Often there needs to be more room in your mouth. Partially emerged or crooked wisdom teeth can also lead to pain and gum disease; impacted wisdom teeth tend to cause swelling and tenderness.

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After surgery, you may be asked to bite down softly on a piece of gauze for 30 to 45 minutes after leaving the office to limit any bleeding. If the wisdom teeth are impacted and embedded in the bone, we make an incision into the gums and remove the tooth in sections to minimise the amount of bone being removed.

Wisdom teeth removal due to crowding or impaction does not affect your bite - or your oral health in the future.

Between 2% - 5% of people develop a dry socket post-surgery. After tooth extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket and seals the area so that it can heal. A dry socket can occur during the first five days after the extraction when the blood clot breaks down or is dislodged, exposing the bone and nerves of the tooth.

To ease the pain, we rinse out the empty socket, remove any debris and apply medicated dressings to protect the area and decrease the pain. Prescribed antibiotics prevent infection, and painkillers ease discomfort - with proper care and rest, a dry socket heals in 7 to 10 days.

Treatment

After surgery, you may be asked to bite down softly on a piece of gauze for 30 to 45 minutes after leaving the office to limit any bleeding. If the wisdom teeth are impacted and embedded in the bone, we make an incision into the gums and remove the tooth in sections to minimise the amount of bone being removed.

You may experience pain and swelling for a few days. Don't panic - it's normal. Tenderness in the face and neck is common, as is bruising. Ice packs and prescribed pain medications by us help manage this. But if you develop prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding or fever, contact us immediately.

Wisdom teeth removal due to crowding or impaction does not affect your bite - or your oral health in the future.

Complications

Between 2% - 5% of people develop a dry socket post-surgery. After tooth extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket and seals the area so that it can heal. A dry socket can occur during the first five days after the extraction when the blood clot breaks down or is dislodged, exposing the bone and nerves of the tooth.

To ease the pain, we rinse out the empty socket, remove any debris and apply medicated dressings to protect the area and decrease the pain. Prescribed antibiotics prevent infection, and painkillers ease discomfort - with proper care and rest, a dry socket heals in 7 to 10 days.