Wisdom Tooth Removal in Phoenix, AZ
If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have enough room to grow it becomes an impacted wisdom tooth. An impacted wisdom tooth can grow at an angle into your molars, grow backward, or become trapped by the jawbone. When this happens you can experience pain radiating even to nearby teeth, gum disease, develop an infection, or experience other serious dental problems or complications on permanent adult teeth located near the wisdom tooth.
Wisdom Tooth Surgery
Impacted wisdom teeth or difficult wisdom teeth are very common; nearly five million wisdom tooth extraction surgeries are performed each year. Dr. Woodmansee has been part of our dental team for over a decade, you can see his bio on his “Meet the Team” page on our website. All he does is take out wisdom teeth for his career. A single focus has made him, in Dr. Harman’s opinion “The best person in Arizona to take out wisdom teeth”. He has taken out Dr. Harman’s children’s wisdom teeth and hundreds of our patients over the years. Dr. Woodmansee is focused on treating each patient so that after the extractions, the least amount of discomfort will be experienced.
To start the process, we need an X-ray that goes around your head so we can see the roots of the wisdom teeth and surrounding nerves. Next, you will schedule an appointment to remove the wisdom teeth. We, as a team, are very good at communicating with you about options for sedation and what to expect after your extractions. Most people choose an IV sedation that still keeps you awake so you don’t lose control of your breathing and includes an amnesia medicine so you do not remember any part of the surgery. It is a very safe and effective way to have teeth out with no discomfort during the procedure.
Wisdom teeth are the last set of permanent teeth to emerge in the mouth. Typically, they will appear when you start to reach maturity, between the ages of 17 and 25; hence the term ‘wisdom teeth.’ But why is it necessary to do an oral surgery for wisdom teeth removed?
If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have enough room to grow it becomes an impacted wisdom tooth. An impacted wisdom tooth can grow at an angle into your molars, grow backward, or become trapped by the jawbone. When this happens, you can experience pain radiating even to nearby teeth, develop gum disease, an infection, or experience other serious dental problems or complications on permanent adult teeth located near the wisdom tooth. Therefore, Dr. Harman recommends surgical removal versus retention of your wisdom teeth in most cases, but again everyone is different. Dr. Harman will evaluate your unique condition and share with you all of the details.
This isn’t to say that wisdom tooth removal is always a necessary procedure. Some people have no dental complications, and they simply emerge as another set of molars. Others never develop wisdom teeth at all or no wisdom teeth erupt.
During Surgery
Wisdom teeth removal is a minimally invasive surgery. As such, the process usually takes no more than an hour to complete and you’re free to return home the same day. During a wisdom tooth extraction, Dr. Woodmansee will:
- Make an incision to loosen the tissue around the tooth
- Removes any bone that may be blocking access to the tooth
- May divide the tooth into sections if it makes extraction easier
- Extracts the tooth
- Stitches the extraction site shut
- Places gauze over the stitches to soak up blood and promote clotting
After Surgery
Recovery ranges from patient to patient. Some only experience mild discomfort while others may experience intense severe pain hence, they take prescription pain medication. Swelling and pain are very common and will likely last for about three days. However, total recovery time could last for a few weeks. During those couple of weeks after wisdom tooth extraction, you want to avoid what is called a “dry socket.” This occurs when a blood clot is dislodged from the extraction site in the tooth socket. To avoid infection, especially on the gum tissue, or to affect other teeth, our best advice is to follow Dr. Woodmansee’s instructions for an easy recovery and to completely heal:
- Only eat soft foods like rice, pasta, or soup.
- Do not smoke or vape
- Avoid rinsing your mouth
- Don’t drink through a straw
- Brush away from the extraction site
- Try to avoid chewing on that spot
- Use ice for swelling
- Use a warm moist towel for a sore jaw
Exceptional Dental Care in Phoenix
with Dr. John Harman Dental Care
At Dr. John Harman Dental Care, we combine advanced dental technology with compassionate care to give your family the healthiest, most confident smiles. Whether you need dental implants, root canal therapy, or cosmetic dentistry, our highly trained team is here to provide personalized treatments in a comfortable, stress-free environment. Call us today at 602-840-5300 to schedule your appointment and experience the highest standard of dental care in Phoenix!