Wisdom teeth removal has become something of a rite of passage among teenagers and young adults. According to the American Dental Association, there are many problems that wisdom teeth can cause including infection, pain, periodontal disease, and pushing existing teeth together due to lack of mouth space.
When a Toothbar dentist recommends wisdom tooth removal, it is understandable that patients and their parents are concerned about pain or discomfort both during and after removal. Luckily, dentists have many tools at their disposal to help alleviate pain and discomfort for patients.
Depending on the complexity of the wisdom tooth extraction, patients will have a local anesthetic applied before the actual removal process begins. A topical numbing agent will be applied to the injection sites before a local anesthetic is injected into the gum. These injections are typically described as pinches but do not cause extreme pain or discomfort.
Patients who undergo removal with only local anesthetic will feel pressure during the procedure but should not feel pain.
Some wisdom tooth removals are more complex than others. Depending on the difficulty of the extractions and how nervous the patient is about the procedure, sedation may be used. If sedation is used, patients will remain awake during the procedure, but with reduced consciousness. Memory loss during the procedure is a common occurrence.
In some cases, the dentist may believe that general anesthesia is the best option. This also depends on the difficulty of the case and the level of anxiety a patient has about the procedure. When general anesthesia is used, the patient is completely unconscious and has no memory of the procedure.
According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, while the actual procedure should not be painful, any pain experienced during recovery is dependent on how many teeth were removed, if they were impacted or infected, and a patient’s individual pain tolerance. All patients should expect soreness and swell for the first week. The dentist may prescribe pain reducing medication or may recommend over the counter ibuprofen or Tylenol depending on the severity of the case.
In order to avoid a painful condition called dry socket, patients will be educated on what to avoid in the days after the teeth removal. Dry socket is a very painful complication of wisdom tooth removal and it will be important for patients to adhere to the Toothbar dentist’s advice regarding post-extraction procedures.
The Toothbar has helped numerous patients in need of wisdom tooth removal. The dentists at the Toothbar work with patients to find the best possible outcome and least amount of pain possible when removing wisdom teeth. Contact us today, we are ready to help you start a pain-free future! Call: 512-949-8202
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