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Dental Care

Why Do You Need To Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

By March 23, 2022No Comments

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth otherwise known as third molars are the teeth right at the back of your mouth and usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Wisdom teeth will affect most individuals at some point in their lives, and it’s best to see a dentist if you have any pain or discomfort. Wisdom teeth are quite often surplus to requirements, especially with modern diets which require chewing less tough food. If you’re lucky you might not have wisdom teeth, or they develop/erupt without any complications. Unfortunately, most people with wisdom teeth will have issues with them at some point and need to have them removed.

Why Do They Need To Be Removed?

Wisdom teeth are usually extracted due to them causing pain or to avoid them causing pain in the future.
Common issues associated with wisdom teeth development include:

  • Partially emerging from the gums, where they’re often difficult to see and clean, making them a breeding ground for bacteria that causes gum disease, decay and infection to both them and neighbouring teeth.
  • Impacted – not enough space which means the can erupt at odd angles causing pressure and pain.

Removal Process:

If you have decided along with your dentist to remove your wisdom teeth you’ll then be given a local anaesthetic injection to numb the tooth and surrounding area before your wisdom teeth are removed. The teeth can either be simple to remove or may require some of the gum to be pushed to side and the tooth sectioned into pieces before removal. Patients will also sometimes need sutures to close the wound.

Following wisdom tooth removal, some swelling and discomfort is to be expected. Taking time to rest in the days after extraction is recommended. It’s also common for some bleeding from the wound too. Any special post operative instructions will be given to you by your dentist. Pain relief, ice packs to reduce swelling, avoiding smoking, soft food diet, and avoiding hot foods all help with healing after removal.

We are committed to providing you with outstanding dental care in a comfortable environment. Our team understand that dental treatment can be nerve wracking and make a conscious effort to make you as comfortable as possible. Give us a call today!