Wisdom Tooth Extraction: Process, Timeline & Aftercare
If you’ve got a sore tooth in the back of your mouth, there’s a good chance that it’s one of your wisdom teeth. And without proper care, you could experience more pain, discomfort, and even a higher risk of other complications like oral infections.
At Grove City Smiles, we know the idea of getting oral surgery like a wisdom tooth extraction can be intimidating. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide. We’ll walk you through the basics of wisdom teeth, when they need to be pulled, how the process works, and what you can expect as you heal from your procedure, too.
The wisdom teeth are a natural part of the body. They're the third set of molars, and the big difference between them and the other teeth is that they emerge much later. Most people have all of their other teeth by the age of 12-13, but wisdom teeth usually come out between the ages of 17-25.
In many cases, wisdom teeth emerge without any issues. As long as you have enough space in your mouth and they're growing into your mouth properly, you can keep them! There are lots of people who still have their wisdom teeth.
Sometimes, something goes wrong when the wisdom teeth erupt. They may not emerge all the way out of your gums, or they may grow crookedly or even sideways. This is called “impaction” and is a serious oral health concern.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause serious pain, increase your risk of infections, or even damage the nearby teeth. Common symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include bleeding gums, oral pain, headaches and earaches, pain and discomfort when chewing, headaches, earaches, and bad breath or a foul taste in your mouth.
Even if they grow out properly and emerge all the way from your gums, wisdom teeth can sometimes crowd out your other teeth, which may raise your risk of tooth decay and gum disease since it will be harder to clean between your rear teeth.
This is when wisdom teeth extraction may be necessary. By removing your wisdom teeth, the dentists at Grove City Smiles can restore your oral health, eliminate the symptoms of unhealthy wisdom teeth, and
First, you’ll meet with Dr. Michael Pappas for a comprehensive consultation, including both X-rays and an oral exam. He’ll examine your wisdom teeth, see if they're impacted or unhealthy, and determine whether or not you need wisdom tooth extractions at Grove City Smiles.
In most cases, you’ll schedule a separate appointment to have your wisdom teeth extracted. To begin this appointment, Dr. Pappas will clean your mouth and use numbing agents to make sure you feel no discomfort during your surgery. We also offer a variety of sedation options at Grove City Smiles to keep you feeling comfortable throughout your visit.
Simple extractions can be used if your entire wisdom tooth has erupted above your gum line and is not impacted. In this procedure, Dr. Pappas will use a tool called a “dental elevator” to gently wiggle your tooth and loosen it in the socket. Then, he will remove it with a pair of dental forceps.
If your tooth is impacted and has not fully erupted from the gums, a surgical extraction will be needed. Dr. Pappas will create a small opening in your gums near your wisdom tooth. Then, he will use dental tools to cut your tooth into small pieces and extract each piece one at a time. This process will continue until he has removed your entire wisdom tooth.
Once he has removed your tooth, Dr. Pappas will clean up the area, sanitize it, and suture it shut to ensure that it heals properly. Then, he will repeat the process to remove any other unhealthy wisdom teeth. Finally, you’ll schedule any necessary follow-ups, then head home to heal and recover from your oral surgery.
Dr. Pappas will place gauze packs over the extraction sites to absorb blood. He will provide you with some extra gauze packs to take home. You will need to switch them out every 60 minutes until bleeding stops, which may take a couple of hours.
Your numbing will start to wear off soon, so make sure you take any medication as directed by Dr. Pappas to help with your discomfort. You can eat right away, but make sure you stick to liquid and very soft foods like yogurt, broth, and ice cream.
Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and take things easy for the rest of the day. As far as oral hygiene goes, you can brush your other teeth normally, but should avoid brushing the extraction site directly.
Within 24-48 hours, bleeding should have mostly stopped. You may still be experiencing some discomfort, bruising, and swelling near the extraction site. However, this should be manageable.
Most people are able to go back to work or school within a day or two after their wisdom tooth extraction surgery. You should continue eating only very soft foods, and you should not brush the extraction site directly.
During this time, you’ll start to feel much less discomfort, and there will be a noticeable decrease in other symptoms like swelling and bruising, too. As long as they do not cause you any discomfort, you can start eating firmer foods like rice, pasta, steamed vegetables, chicken, and fish.
You can start brushing the extraction site with a soft-bristled toothbrush, too. Be very gentle to make sure you don’t disturb the blood clot.
After 1-2 weeks, your mouth will be mostly recovered. You should feel minimal pain and discomfort, and you can start eating most of the foods you would usually eat. However, we recommend avoiding spicy, hard, crunchy, or sharp foods for a little while longer.
You can brush your extraction site normally, too. It may still feel a little tender to the touch, but the gums will be almost fully healed, and will have covered the extraction site completely. The underlying tissue will continue to heal over the next few weeks.
If you’ve got pain in the back of your mouth and you think that your wisdom teeth are the culprit, Dr. Pappas and the team at Grove City Smiles are here to help. We offer gentle wisdom teeth extractions in Grove City, OH.
Our team can eliminate your pain and discomfort, prevent future complications, and get your oral health back on track. Give us a call at (614) 350-5300 or book your first visit online to get the help you need.
We look forward to meeting you. Call (614) 350-5300 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
