Wisdom teeth are the last four teeth to erupt and they appear around the ages of 18-26 years old. By that time, there’s a possibility that there’s not enough space in your mouth for these teeth, causing them to erupt while pushing against neighbouring molars, causing intense pain. They may also erupt partially or stay beneath your gums (impacted).
If your wisdom teeth do not erupt properly, you will most likely experience a lot of pain on one side of the face. Impacted wisdom teeth can also become breeding ground for infectious bacteria, which can damage healthy molars, the gums and other neighbouring teeth, and if left untreated, a section of your jaw may become damaged. Your dentist may recommend getting them extracted to prevent infection.
The wisdom tooth surgery procedure starts with an anesthetic to numb the area of extraction and a sedative so you’ll be unconscious during the whole procedure. The type of anaesthesia to use depends on your oral surgeon. The oral surgeon then makes an incision on your gums to reveal the tooth and the tooth is cut into sections to make extraction easier. After all of the pieces of the tooth are extracted, the socket is cleaned of any debris and the surrounding gum is stitched, and gauze is placed over the extraction site to promote healing.
For the next week or two after the procedure, it is best to eat only soft or liquid food and to stay away from cigarettes and tobacco if you’re a smoker to prevent the blood clot from being dislodged; should this happen, you will experience intense pain and a foul taste when eating. Consult your dental professional as soon as you experience these after the procedure.
