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The removal of a wisdom tooth is not considered a dental emergency. If one of your wisdom teeth is impacted, you may experience severe pain and discomfort. In this case, an emergency wisdom tooth extraction may be required by a dentist or oral surgeon.
What Are The Signs of Wisdom Teeth That Are Impacted?
Wisdom teeth that have become impacted can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including:
- Toothaches
- Swollen gums
- Sensitive teeth
- Teeth shifting
- Jaw ache
- Headaches
- Infections
Wisdom teeth don’t show up until they start to erupt. That’s why x-rays are an essential part of your teen’s dental check-ups. They enable your dentist to track the eruption of your wisdom teeth.
Pericoronitis is a dental problem caused by partially erupted wisdom teeth. This happens when gum tissue covers a portion of the tooth, trapping food and plaque debris. It causes inflammation and severe pain, and antibiotics and an extraction may be required.
Do I Have To Have My Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Wisdom teeth extraction isn’t necessary for everyone. You may not need to have your wisdom teeth extracted if your jawbone has enough room for them and your teeth are coming in straight. On the other hand, wisdom tooth eruption can be painful and cause damage to your adult teeth in many cases.
Your wisdom teeth need to be extracted via oral surgery if this is the case. Based on a 3D X-ray taken during your teenage years, your dentist should be able to tell you whether or not you will have problems with your wisdom teeth.
What to Expect During an Emergency Tooth Extraction?
You may require emergency dental care if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth. If your teeth are impacted, your oral surgeon will need to perform a surgical extraction rather than a simple extraction.
While methods and procedures may differ slightly depending on the dentist, here’s what to expect when you go to the dentist for an emergency wisdom tooth extraction:
- A local anesthetic will be applied to the area around your tooth by the doctor. The area surrounding the tooth will be numb completely in a matter of minutes.
- They may use sedation or “put you under” if you have anxiety or dentophobia (fear of the dentist). This could be administered via IV, inhalant, or pill.
- The dentist will then use an elevator and forceps to widen the tooth socket by applying pressure to the tooth from multiple angles.
- The dentist will then grasp the tooth with forceps and begin rocking it back and forth. To separate the tooth from the ligaments, they may rotate it.
- To close the wound, the doctor may use one or two stitches.
- Depending on your condition, you may be placed in the recovery room, given pain medication, and given instructions regarding the proper care after the procedure.
Aftercare for Emergency Wisdom Tooth Extraction
You will gradually regain feeling after the procedure as the anesthetic wears off. This is a very painful part of the procedure, but it is easily manageable with over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers. Antibiotics can be prescribed to prevent infection.
It’s normal to experience pain, swelling, and bleeding from your wounds in the days afterwards. Pain is usually mild to moderate and only rarely severe. Blood clots at the extraction site could become agitated or even break. These symptoms usually last from 3-4 days, but they can last up to a week in some cases. If the symptoms have persisted for a week or more, make an appointment with your dentist right away.
It’s important to avoid spitting, drinking through a straw, and smoking while you’re recovering. Any activity that requires you to suck may result in a dry socket, a painful oral health condition in which the blood clots dissolve and the bone beneath your wound is exposed.
You should eat soft foods like smoothies, yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese, or pudding in the days following the extraction. Extremely hot or cold foods and liquids should also be avoided.