Extracting Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth is the common name for third molars, which are typically the final set of adult molars to erupt on your upper and lower dental arches. Generally, wisdom teeth begin to appear between the ages of 17 and 25 years old, after all other teeth have fully developed. For many patients, their appearance can lead to a wide range of problems resulting from 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 the discomfort and prevent extensive damage to the surrounding oral structures, we recommend oral surgery to extract the impacted wisdom teeth as soon as possible.

Why do third molars become impacted?

Historically, third molars provided our ancestors with the enhanced chewing power they needed to consume a rougher diet than we’re used to. They also had larger dental ridges to accommodate the extra molars, and impaction was likely a much less frequent problem. Today, however, third molars are no longer needed, and many people don’t have the space on their dental ridges for the four additional molars. When they try to erupt, wisdom teeth often become stuck (impacted) behind second molars, and extracting them becomes an increasingly more 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 a third molar (or any tooth) can lead to a wide range of problems with your oral health, from increasingly severe discomfort to increased risks of oral infection, tooth misalignment, tooth damage, and more. Each of these symptoms can grow more prominent the longer an impacted tooth remains, and you may experience issues such as severe tooth malpositioning, internal tooth infection and cyst formation, swelling around the tooth, and more. To help you avoid these symptoms, or alleviate them and restore your good oral health, wisdom tooth extraction should be performed as soon as possible.

What to expect during surgery

The impacted nature of many wisdom teeth makes extracting them a more complex process than simple tooth extraction. During surgical wisdom tooth extraction, we’ll administer the appropriate sedation method according to your specific needs and preferences before beginning the procedure. 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.

Schedule your wisdom tooth extraction

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, TX, today at 469-649-8259. We also serve patients who live in Dallas, Mansfield, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Desoto, Red Oak, Waxahachie, Ft. Worth, and all surrounding communities.