Wisdom Tooth / Last Molar Extraction
Each individual wisdom tooth is unique and depending on how it grows, it can have different impact on bones and/or tissues. Wisdom teeth are molars found in the very back of your mouth. These teeth usually appear in late teens or early twenties but may become impacted (fail to erupt) due to lack of space in the jaw or path of insertion. Their varied developments such as impaction, horizontal or slant placement may affect other teeth and cause troubles. The most common type of impacted wisdom tooth is “mesial”, meaning that the tooth is angled forward toward the front of your mouth.
They have to extract out and is a highly skilful job being performed by our Maxillofacial Surgeon.
The following 4 impactions are commonly found in patients cases.
If the impaction is between the third molar and part of the second molar, this kind is called bone impaction. It can sub-categorize into vertical, horizontal, and angular depending on the way they are intersecting.
- Bone Impaction (Vertical):- Impaction would cause pathology is inside the cheek bone or jaw bone.
- Bone Impaction (Horizontal):- Besides causing pathology is, horizontal placement would hurt the hard tissue of the second molar to cause toothache and cavities.
- Bone Impaction (Angular):- Besides causing pathology is, angular placement would hurt the hard tissue of the second molar to cause toothache and cavities.
- Tissue Impaction: - The wisdom tooth almost erupts out of gum, or its half erupts out of gum to cause pseudo-pocket. It easily tracts food debris and causes gum irritation.
Only under the X-Ray can these impactions be clearly identified.
When a wisdom tooth is impacted, it may need to be removed. If it is not removed, you may develop gum tenderness, swelling, or severe pain. Impacted wisdom teeth that are partially or fully erupted are difficult to clean and susceptible to tooth decay, recurring infections, or gum disease.
Each patient's situation is unique. Your dentist will take a panoramic X-ray to determine whether your wisdom teeth will need removal. If the dentist recommends removal of your wisdom teeth, it is best to have them removed sooner rather than later.
Removal of Impacted Wisdom Tooth
Wisdom teeth are typically removed in the late teens or early twenties because there is a greater chance that the teeth's roots have not fully formed and the bone surrounding the teeth is less dense. These two factors can make extraction easier, as well as making the recovery time much shorter.
To remove a wisdom tooth, your dentist first numbs the area around the tooth with a local anaesthetic. Your dentist may use additional medication to safely sedate you during the extraction if you are feeling nervous about the procedure. Since the impacted tooth may still be under the gums and embedded in jaw bone, your dentist will remove a portion of the covering bone to extract the tooth. To minimize the amount of bone that is removed with the tooth, your dentist will often “section” your wisdom tooth so that each piece can be removed through a small opening in the bone.
Once your wisdom teeth have been extracted, the healing process begins. Healing time varies depending on the degree of difficulty related to the extraction. Your dentist will let you know what to expect and will provide instructions for a comfortable, efficient healing process.
The following shows how to remove the impacted wisdom tooth (bone impaction).
This procedure is only needed when your wisdom teeth start to bother you, or upon your dentist recommendation.
