How Long Does It Take for Wisdom Teeth to Heal
Wisdom tooth removal is among the most common dental procedures done to alleviate dental pain. It’s also recommended in some patients as a preventive measure to safeguard them from future oral problems. If it’s your first time going for wisdom teeth extraction in Toronto, ON, you might be interested to learn all you can about the procedure and what takes place after treatment.
What Is Wisdom Tooth Removal?
Wisdom tooth extraction is the removal of the third molar, which is the four permanent adult teeth found at the back end of your mouth. They are situated in both the upper and lower jaw. You may have already gotten a wisdom tooth if you are 17 years old or older. Although many people have all four of their wisdom teeth, a small percentage of people don’t have all their wisdom teeth.
How to Tell if Your Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed
Not everyone experiences problems with their wisdom teeth. However, you can tell if your wisdom teeth need removal when you experience the symptoms below:
Have gum disease around your molars
Experience dental pain originating from the back of your mouth
Develop a cyst around your wisdom tooth or teeth
You experienced damage to areas surrounding your wisdom tooth
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
You don’t need all your wisdom teeth to have a healthy and attractive smile. That being said, if your wisdom teeth fail to grow properly, you may have to remove them. Wisdom teeth may fail to develop properly for several reasons, the main one being the lack of enough room in the mouth to emerge correctly. When that happens, the wisdom teeth may cause your mouth to crowd and cause future oral problems such as dental pain and infection.
The American dental association recommends going for a wisdom teeth checkup before reaching the age of 20 to check the progress of your wisdom teeth development.
Procedure
Wisdom tooth extraction is an outpatient procedure that is sometimes considered a major surgery. Before surgery can take place, your Bathurst dentist will do an inspection of your teeth which may involve the taking of x-rays. After they confirm that the teeth need removal, they’ll use local anesthesia to numb the area scheduled for surgery, so you don’t feel any pain during treatment. If you have any underlying medical issues or are taking any medications, it’s best to inform your dentist before treatment can commence.
An impacted wisdom tooth cannot be easily removed since it’s submerged in the gums or sometimes even the jawbone tissue. That being said, your dentist will first have to make an incision on the gums to make the tooth more visible and easy to extract. Once visible, your oral surgeon will carefully loosen the tooth and, through the help of special dental tools, lift the tooth from its socket. To end the procedure, they will clean the area and stitch the wound to protect it from infection.
Average Time to Recover From Wisdom Teeth Removal
Your body’s healing ability will determine how long you’ll wait before recovery. On average, many patients wait three to four days post-surgery before fully recovering. However, if the tooth extracted was an impacted wisdom tooth, the patient may have to wait longer, which may be about a week, to heal.
How Long to Heal From Wisdom Tooth Surgery?
So, what next after undergoing wisdom teeth removal near you? Recovery post-treatment can take anywhere between 3 days to 1 week. However, you must take all prescribed medications to avoid risks of infection which may cause swelling and derail healing. Below are tips to follow to speed up recovery:
Don’t engage in physically demanding duties during recovery. You shouldn’t engage in anything that may cause too much straining.
Place a pack of ice over your jaw to reduce swelling. The cooling effect from the ice will also help reduce inflammation.
Take painkillers as prescribed by your dentist to alleviate dental pain.
After 24 hours, rinse your mouth with salt water severally to keep the wound clean and prevent infection.
When Do Wisdom Teeth Stitches Come Out
The Bathurst dentist will stitch your wound to protect it from bacteria and food particles. The stitches take approximately 7 to 10 days to come off. In some cases, the wait will be longer than average, but we don’t recommend taking them off not unless instructed by your dentist. Visit your dentist soon as you see any signs of infection.
Conclusion
Wisdom teeth removal is a standard dental procedure meant to eradicate dental pain and improve oral health. If you have trouble talking or eating due to dental pain originating from your back teeth, visit Arlington Dental for a dental checkup and treatment.