Getting Wisdom Teeth Removed

The four, large grinding teeth at the back of the mouth are known as wisdom teeth. They emerge in people when they are in their late teens or early twenties. If these teeth come out well and are properly aligned with the other teeth, they are beneficial. However, if they come out unnaturally and are maligned, they need to be removed, as they can cause tooth decay.

Why are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Wisdom teeth are generally removed in case of an infection. If the jaw is not big enough to hold the teeth, they come out from the gums, becoming impacted. The gum tissue grows over this and when food and germs get trapped in this part, it causes infection. Pain in the gums, or swelling and reddening of the gums are signs of an infection. This infection can damage other teeth, bones and at times, even form a cyst. It therefore becomes important to remove the infected wisdom tooth/teeth to cure the infection. Another reason for their removal is when they come out in an awkward or abnormal manner.

Procedure for Wisdom Teeth Removal

The surgery starts with the surgeon administering the patient with local anesthesia in the gums. The anesthesia completely blocks any feeling in the gum, making it numb. After the anesthesia has taken effect, the surgeon cuts the gum tissues above the wisdom tooth and removes any jawbone covering the tooth. The surgeon then splits the tissue which connects the tooth and the bone, and pulls out the wisdom tooth. At times, the surgeon may break down the tooth into small pieces to remove the tooth. After the tooth is extracted, the wound is covered up with stitches and some cotton is kept over the wound to cease the bleeding. The extraction does not take more than 40 to 45 minutes.

Is it Painful?

Removing wisdom teeth is not supposed to be a very painful process. Because of the anesthesia, the gums don't feel a thing. Some pain is caused when the surgeon pulls the wisdom tooth out from the gums, which stays for a while after the operation. Pain killers are prescribed to ease this pain which arises after getting them out. The extent of infection in the tooth also determines the intensity of the pain. If the tooth is highly infected, there is greater difficulty in removing it, and consequently more pain.

Cost of Removing Wisdom Teeth

The cost can be anywhere between US $1000 to US $1500. This is for all the four wisdom teeth, where in the operation is carried out in hospitals under general anesthesia. However, for a single wisdom tooth removal, the cost is around US $150 to US $330, depending upon the dentist. Dental insurance companies do cover this cost and the reimbursement is provided as per the policy. People can also visit a nearby dental college to get their wisdom teeth removed, as the fees there are around US $150 to US $200 for all the four teeth, which is extremely cheap.

Care To Be Taken After Wisdom Teeth Removal

A few precautions which will help in a quick recovery post surgery:

• The cotton placed on the wound needs to be changed from time to time as it gets drenched in blood. Also if the bleeding does not stop even 24 hours after the operation, consult a dentist.
• The effect of anesthesia stays for a while after the operation. There is a possibility of people biting their tongue, inner parts of the cheek or lip while these parts are still numb. Avoid it.
• Rubbing outer areas of the cheek with an ice-pack for the initial 24 hours at least, will help to reduce pain and swelling.
• People are advised against eating anything hard or warm for a coupe of days after the removal. Eating cold and soft foodstuffs like ice-cream, pudding or gelatin is good.
• Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water from the second day onwards helps in the healing process and also reduces any pain or swelling in the mouth.
• Smoking, physical activities and lying flat on the bed should be avoided for the first 2 days at least as these may interfere with the wisdom teeth removal recovery process.
• Be careful while brushing teeth and cleaning the tongue. Visit the dentist in a few days to remove the stitches, if required.

Getting those painful wisdom teeth removed is a very common and stress-free procedure, if done well. The recovery is also easy and normal conditions are restored within a week, at the most.