Wisdom Teeth | Wisdom Teeth in Lansing MI
Wisdom Teeth
If you are at the point where you need to have your wisdom teeth
removed, let Mid Michigan Oral Surgery be your home for comfortable, professional Lansing MI oral surgery and wisdom teeth removal. Having a wisdom tooth removed can be a stressful event. Our incredible oral surgery team will ensure that you have the best experience possible. Read below to learn more the process of having your wisdom teeth removed.
Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can erupt into normal occlusion, but more often, they require removal. Wisdom teeth present potential problems when they are improperly positioned. They may only partially erupt through the gums or be entrapped completely within the soft tissue and/or the jawbone. Teeth that remain partially or completely entrapped within the soft tissue or jawbone are termed "impacted."
Indications to extract wisdom teeth:
• The jaw isn't large enough to allow the wisdom teeth to fully erupt into occlusion.
• When wisdom teeth only partially erupt, it allows an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection. Partially erupted teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach positioning makes brushing and flossing difficult.
• Poor alignment of wisdom teeth can crowd or damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone, or nerves. Wisdom teeth can make the second molars more vulnerable to decay by entrapping plaque and debris.
How Do I Know if I Have Wisdom Teeth? Ask your dentist about the positioning of your wisdom teeth. He or she will take an x-ray to evaluate the presence and alignment of your wisdom teeth. Your dentist may send you to an oral surgeon for further evaluation. They may recommend that your wisdom teeth be extracted even before problems develop. This is done to avoid a more painful or more complicated extraction that might have to be done later. Removal is easier in young people, when the wisdom teeth roots are not yet fully developed and the bone is less dense. In older people, recovery and healing time tend to be longer.
Guidelines for wisdom tooth extraction:
1. If you plan to be sedated during surgery, it is required that you have a responsible person to drive you home. You cannot eat or drink anything for 3 hours prior to surgery. The drugs most commonly used for IV sedation are Versed and Demerol. Decadron is also utilized to minimize postoperative swelling.
2. You will be given prescriptions following your surgery.
3. You are encouraged to have a nutritional liquid or soft diet following the surgery.
4. Do not eat popcorn for at least 1 month following extraction.
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