Your wisdom teeth are your last set of molars to emerge, and they usually come in when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Because these teeth can become impacted, which means they come in at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is often necessary for them to be removed before they cause pain or crowd your other teeth. At our office in Silver Spring, MD, Dr. David R. Bishop and Dr. Dorienne Taylor-Bishop can determine if your wisdom teeth need to be removed and extract them if they do.
If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. This flap of skin makes the molar extremely hard to clean, which means you are susceptible to an infection called periocoronitis.
When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, either Dr. Bishop will extract the tooth. Many times all four are removed at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate the patient. It depends on the preference of the doctor and patient, as well as how far the wisdom tooth has emerged. After an anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue over the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured.
After surgery, rest is required. You will also need to change the gauze applied to the incision every couple hours.
To see if your wisdom teeth may need to be removed, schedule an appointment with Bishop & Bishop Dental by calling (301) 608-9270. For more information, visit www.bishopdental.com.
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