Get Wise About Wisdom Teeth Removal

It’s almost a rite of passage for many people to have their wisdom teeth removed. For many Salt Lake City residents, it can mean undergoing the first surgical procedure they have experienced in some time—maybe the first one in their life. Wisdom teeth removal doesn’t have to be scary, though, even if it is unfamiliar to you.

Here are some important things to expect when you are having a wisdom tooth extraction in Salt Lake City:

Many people who get wisdom teeth (not all of us do) need to have them removed because their mouths don’t have room to accommodate more teeth. Sometimes the teeth can become imbedded in your gums—or in your jaw—with no way to get out except to undergo wisdom teeth extraction. In other cases, the teeth come in at strange angles, pressing on your existing teeth.

You’ll need to decide about what kind of anesthesia you will have for your wisdom teeth removal procedure. You can discuss with your Salt Lake City oral surgeon if you will get numbed locally or receive general anesthesia.

During the surgery, the doctor may have to cut into your gums or even bone in order to extract the wisdom teeth. You could bleed a fair amount during the procedure, but any wounds will be quickly stitched shut.

After surgery, you may not feel like doing much for a while, particularly if you had general anesthesia. While it might take a few weeks to heal completely, if you don’t have any complications, you may only experience swelling and discomfort for a few days.

During your recovery, you shouldn’t eat foods that are difficult to chew, and you may want to apply ice to your face if you experience swelling. Some people might develop a fever or find that their pain and facial swelling lingers for longer than a few days. If this is the case, then you should call your Salt Lake City doctor.

A common malady of people who go through wisdom teeth removal is dry socket. This is when a blood clot that forms in the space where a tooth was removed ends up getting dissolved or dislodged, leaving the bone and nerve susceptible to pain and infection. Dry socket is easily treatable, but it can be very painful. Salt Lake City oral surgeons can provide you with information on how to avoid dry socket after wisdom teeth removal.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Salt Lake City

Visit the JBR Clinical Research wisdom tooth clinical study page to learn if you may qualify to have your wisdom teeth removed at no charge.