Dealing with wisdom teeth coming in is something that most teens and young adults have to deal with at some point. As a parent, it’s best to be proactive and get your child’s wisdom teeth evaluated (and possibly removed) by our Mesa, Arizona dentist before they start giving them any problems.
Why Should You Remove Wisdom Teeth?
There are several reasons why you should have your teen’s third molars removed. The process of wisdom tooth development can affect your child’s day-to-day life. They might even have to miss school due to the amount of pain involved, facial swelling, or headaches that are associated with cutting teeth.
Some people’s mouths don’t have enough room for wisdom teeth, causing them to come in sideways or only partially erupt through the gums.
If wisdom teeth aren’t removed early and they do end up erupting all the way, the chances are high that these teeth will end of getting infected anyway. Since these third molars are so far back in the mouth, they are difficult to clean. The teeth usually end up with large cavities which can also spread to the teeth next to them, or gum disease.
Wisdom teeth usually continue developing well into a person’s late 20s. So even if your teen doesn’t have problems with them now doesn’t mean they won’t a few years down the road.
What To Expect During Your Wisdom Tooth Examination
The most important thing that we’ll do during your teen’s wisdom tooth exam is take a panoramic x-ray. This film will show us all of the third molars and other important facial anatomy that we need to see around them.
Our Mesa dentist will check to see if all of the wisdom teeth are in fact there, and what stage of development they are in. An intraoral examination will also give us a visual of what’s going on in the back of your teen’s mouth. The positioning of the teeth and nerve endings around the jaw will help us determine if and when wisdom tooth removal is advised.
What Will Take Place During The Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
The day that your young adult comes in for their surgery, you’ll need to come along with them because they won’t be able to drive themselves home after receiving sedation.
Fasting the night before will also be necessary. It’s best not to have anything to eat or drink after midnight.
The sedative medication we use will help make them feel like they’re sleeping, so that they can rest nicely during the procedure. We’ll also carefully monitor their vital signs and make sure that they are doing well under sedation throughout the surgery. Their safety is always our first and foremost priority.
We will also numb the areas that we’re working on with a local anesthetic to keep them comfortable even though sedation is also being used.
Surgical removal of a wisdom tooth involves making a small opening in the gums to access the tooth underneath. After the tooth is removed, we may use sutures, medication, or gauze to minimize any bleeding immediately after the procedure.
We’ll provide you with an instruction sheet on the do’s and don’ts of wisdom tooth extraction recovery, to ensure proper healing in the shortest timeframe possible. A few important tips include:
- Keep head elevated during rest for the first 24 hours
- Alternate a cold compress on and off each side of your mouth for 20 minutes at a time
- Change out saturated gauze with sterile gauze pads until bleeding stops
- If bleeding persists for more than 4-5 hours, contact our office
- Take all medication as prescribed to prevent swelling, discomfort, or infection
- Return when directed for a follow-up appointment
- Do not drink alcohol or caffeine, or use tobacco products while your mouth is healing
- Only eat soft foods for the first few days to prevent trauma at the surgical sites
When Should You Schedule A Wisdom Tooth Exam and Removal?
Our Mesa, Arizona dentist recommends that you plan your teen or college student’s wisdom tooth extraction while they are out of school. With Spring break coming up, now is a great time to begin the consultation process and plan the next steps. Don’t wait until your young adult is in pain or trying to get through final exams in college.
Proactive wisdom teeth removal helps prevent complications like crowded teeth, jaw pain, infection, and damage to healthy neighboring teeth.
Call Eastport Dental now to schedule you student’s spring break wisdom tooth exam. Flexible financing plans are available.
