Learn About Removing Wisdom Teeth
At WISE, we will perform a comprehensive exam of your wisdom teeth including necessary X-rays or 3D imaging to determine any current issues or potential future problems you may have with your wisdom teeth.
It is generally recommended to remove wisdom teeth before they cause pain or a problem, as this leads to a more comfortable experience and better outcomes. For this reason, it’s important for teenagers to have their wisdom teeth evaluated.
If wisdom teeth removal is decided to be the best treatment, we will discuss the options for sedation. Nitrous oxide or laughing gas helps with anxiety. However, IV sedation or twilight sleep is a commonly used, safe, and recommended option to undergo the procedure. Patients generally have little memory of the procedure. We use local anesthesia on everyone to ensure patients are comfortable and provide hours of numbness and comfort after the procedure.
The extraction sockets will take about two weeks to heal completely, but most patients are able to go about their normal schedule within a few days. For the first few days after surgery, you may have some swelling in the cheeks and mild discomfort in the jaws. Sometimes stiffness when opening your mouth wide can occur but this resolves with time and as swelling reduces. Using ice packs for the first few days and taking medication prescribed by the surgeon can significantly help with any discomfort.
Please review our patient instructions for a full description of the procedure and post-op instructions.
