Why Wisdom Teeth Need to be Removed

Your wisdom teeth can cause a whole variety of problems if they’re allowed to fully form into your mouth. In many cases, our dentists suggest they be removed because your jaw may not be large enough to house them. If this happens, the wisdom teeth can become impacted and unable to break through your gums. This can be painful and can even lead to infection.

Other reasons that we recommended removal are:

  • If they break partway through the gums, they can create a small flap in the gums that can easily become infected
  • Impacted teeth can lead to infection or damages to the surrounding teeth
  • Wisdom teeth can affect the positioning of your other teeth, so, if you’ve had orthodontia, and may ruin how straight your teeth are

Surgery and Recovery

During this process, you will receive a local anesthetic to numb the areas where the teeth will be removed. You may also receive a general anesthetic that will keep you from feeling pain during the procedure and allow you to sleep while the surgery is performed.

During the surgery, we will perform the following:

  • Make an incision in the gum tissue
  • Remove bone that may be covering the tooth
  • Removal
  • Place stitches if necessary

After the surgery, there are several things you can do to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible, including:

  • Change your gauze pads regularly and inform your Woburn and Winchester dental surgeon if you’re still bleeding after 24 hours
  • Keep your head propped up to minimize bleeding
  • Ice the outside of your cheek to minimize swelling
  • Stay relaxed and don’t tax your body for a few days after surgery
  • Eat soft foods
  • Do not drink through a straw for a few days as this may slow the healing process if your blood clots get removed
  • Following our instructions for cleaning your mouth and taking pain medications

At Divine Smiles, all of your pre-op visits, wisdom teeth surgery, and post-op appointments can be done under one roof. If you believe you may need your wisdom teeth removed, please contact us today by calling (781) 396-8558.