Pain-Free Wisdom Tooth Extractions

We understand that wisdom tooth extraction can seem a bit daunting. That’s why Dr. Slaughter and his team are committed to making your experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible. We’ll be with you every step of the way, from your initial consultation to your post-operative care, by taking the time to listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. For care designed around you, give us a call today!

Understanding Your Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth, the common name for third molars, are the final set of adult molars that erupt on your upper and lower dental arches. Generally, these teeth start to appear between the ages of 17 and 25 years old, after all your other teeth have fully developed. For many of our patients, their eruption can lead to problems like spacing and crowding issues. If one or more wisdom teeth become impacted, the resulting discomfort can become increasingly more severe as they continue to try to erupt. To alleviate your discomfort and prevent damage to your surrounding teeth, we recommend oral surgery to extract the impacted teeth as soon as possible.

Why Do They Become Impacted?

Historically, third molars gave our ancestors the enhanced chewing power they needed to consume a rougher diet. They also had larger dental ridges to accommodate the extra molars, and impaction was likely a much less frequent problem. Today, however, third molars aren’t needed, and many people don’t have space on their dental ridges to accommodate additional molars. That means that when they try to erupt, they often become stuck (impacted) behind your second molars, and extracting them becomes an urgent need.

The Symptoms of Impaction

The problem with an impacted wisdom tooth is that no obstruction will stop it from trying to erupt. This means it will continue to grow and push, even if the impaction causes it to change angles. As a result, wisdom tooth impaction can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Increasing pain at the back of your dental arch
• Swelling in your gums
• A change in the alignment of your teeth
• Difficulty biting and chewing
• Chronic bad breath
• And more

Why Impacted Molars Have To Be Removed

The impaction of your third molars can lead to a range of problems with your oral health, from increasingly severe discomfort to increased risks of oral infection, misalignment, damage, and more. Each of these symptoms can grow more prominent the longer an impacted tooth is left untreated, and you may experience issues like severe tooth malpositioning, internal tooth infection and cyst formation, and swelling around the tooth. To help you avoid these symptoms or alleviate them, wisdom tooth extraction should be performed as soon as possible.

What To Expect During Your Surgery

The impacted nature of these teeth makes extracting them a more complex process. During your surgery, we’ll administer the appropriate sedation according to your needs and preferences before beginning. Once the sedative has taken effect, we’ll make a tiny incision in your gum tissues to gain access to the tooth’s entire structure. If necessary, we may remove the tooth in sections to avoid causing any harm to the surrounding bone structure. Once all of the wisdom tooth’s structure is removed, we’ll thoroughly clean the extraction site and close the incision in your gums.

After Your Surgery

Do’s

• Stick to Dr. Slaughter’s post-surgical instructions.
• Use ice packs for the first 24 hours to help you reduce swelling.
• Eat soft foods and drink fluids for the first two days.
• Take it easy and resume normal activities within a short period.
• Brush your teeth carefully to avoid disturbing blood clots.

Don’ts

• Avoid using straws for at least 24 hours, as they can dislodge blood clots.
• Don’t rinse your mouth vigorously until the clotting is complete.
• Refrain from smoking, as it can disrupt your healing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my wisdom teeth hurt?

When wisdom teeth develop, they’re the last permanent teeth to do so. For many of our patients, there isn’t much room left to accommodate their growth and development, which causes one, several, or all of their wisdom teeth to become impacted. When stuck behind another tooth, wisdom teeth continue to push against it, leading to sometimes intense levels of discomfort.

What if my impaction gets worse?

Like any dental discomfort, the pain associated with wisdom tooth impaction grows worse over time. In addition to the pain, the impaction can also lead to severe damage to your surrounding bone structure and the forced misalignment. To avoid these problems, or to stop them from becoming even more severe, we can recommend surgically extracting your teeth to remove the threat from your smile.

Is it difficult to extract third molars?

Extracting an impacted wisdom tooth isn’t the same as routine tooth extraction. The impaction often means that little or no structure is visible above your gum line, making it impossible to grasp the tooth and gently remove it. Instead, Dr. Slaughter will surgically expose the tooth’s entire structure and carefully remove it to ensure that no further damage is caused to the surrounding structures.

What if my wisdom teeth feel fine?

For some people, wisdom teeth can grow and develop just fine without ever causing discomfort or harm to their other teeth. Sometimes, it just takes a while before the signs of wisdom tooth impaction become obvious. Depending on your specific oral health needs, we might recommend extracting your wisdom teeth, even if they don’t hurt, to avoid the potential for problems later on.

Embrace a New Smile

The longer you wait to extract an impacted wisdom tooth, the more discomfort and subsequent oral health issues it can cause. To schedule your consultation, call the Texas Institute of Oral, Facial & Implant Surgery in Midlothian today. Dr. Slaughter is eager to serve patients who live in Dallas, Mansfield, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Desoto, Red Oak, Waxahachie, Ft. Worth, and all surrounding communities!