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Extractions
Dr. Wineman has taken out thousands of teeth. He can remove almost any tooth. But there are times when he may defer to an oral surgeon because he has his patient's best interest at heart. If you request sedation or want to "knocked out" for the tooth removal, he will refer you to an oral surgeon who is part of your dental insurance network. Dr. Wineman can prescribe his patients of record a mild sedative to take the edge off their anxiety. A local anesthetic is used to numb up the area around the tooth that is going to be extracted/removed. Don't worry, Dr. Wineman will ensure you are profoundly numb before he begins any procedure. Occasionally Dr. Wineman must perform a surgical extraction, that means that he must section tooth into smaller pieces whichmakes it easier to remove. Infrequently, the gum tissue has to be cut and pushed out of the way to expose the bone around the tooth so he can get a better look at the tooth's structure. After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Some stitches dissolve over time and some have to be removed after a few days. Dr. Wineman will tell you whether your stitches need to be removed. A folded cotton gauze pad placed over the wound will help stop the bleeding.
What To Expect After Surgery
In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take painkillers as prescribed by either Dr. Wineman or your oral surgeon. The following tips will help speed your recovery.
- Bite gently on the gauze pad to apply pressure to the extraction for one continous hour. If necessary you can change the gauze pad if they are too bloody. Call Dr. Wineman or the oral surgeon if you still have bleeding 24 hours after your surgery. While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip, or your tongue.
- Keep your head slightly elevated if you lie down following the surgery. Prop up your head with at least 2 pillows.
- Try using an ice pack on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours. You can use moist heat-such as a washcloth soaked in warm water and wrung out-for the following 2 or 3 days.
- Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding. Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or a thin soup. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.
- Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot and delay healing.
- After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
- Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion can loosen the clot and delay healing. In addition, smoking decreases the blood supply and can bring germs and contaminants to the surgery area.
Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.
- Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.
Your dentist will remove the stitches after a few days, if needed.
Why do I need my wisdom teeth removed anyway?
A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. When wisdom teeth come in, a number of problems can occur:
Your jaw may not be large enough to accommodate them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
Your wisdom teeth may break partially through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can become trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful. These are signs of infection.
More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or the development of a cyst.
One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side.
How Well It Works
Wisdom tooth removal usually is effective in preventing:
- Crowding of the back teeth.
- A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw (impacted) and never breaking through the gums.
- Red, swollen, and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth that has only partially come in.
- Gum disease and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth, which may be harder to clean than other teeth, or in the teeth and jaw in the area of the wisdom tooth.
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