Don’t Let Wisdom Teeth Change Your Smile
October 28, 2021
When you approach adulthood, or when your child is in his or her teen years, then up to four new teeth could erupt in the rear of the smile. For many, this means negative changes to overall oral health. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about how we prevent wisdom teeth from changing your smile!
The Impact of Your Wisdom Teeth
Also known as third molars, these teeth erupt in the back of the mouth. For many, there is simply no room for them, so their arrival could mean misalignment, a painful partial eruption known as an impaction, damaged teeth, or even infection. Taking them out prior to the eruption could help preserve the health and beauty of your smile.
Planning Your Extraction
When you see us, we will use digital x-rays and intraoral camera images to identify the presence and location of your wisdom teeth, as well as sensitive nerve tissues and sinus cavities. From there, we will plan the extraction process with great detail. For comfort, we will administer a local anesthetic and also dental sedation, so you enter a calm and relaxed state with little to no memory of the procedure. We open the gums above the teeth and then gently remove them with a pair of forceps. Next, we add medication to the site and suture it closed.
Recovery
We will send you home with detailed aftercare instructions, as well as prescriptions for medications to keep you comfortable and also facilitate a good healing process. For the next day or two you will need to rest and avoid hard foods. We will take out the sutures in a follow-up visit. When we remove teeth due to infection or damage, we can preserve the extraction site to make your smile ready for eventual dental implant placement. If you have any questions about how we remove wisdom teeth and preserve your smile, then contact our team today to learn more.
Now is a great time to see us for treatment, as the busy holiday season hasn’t started, and you can use any remaining dental insurance benefits or health savings funds before they expire. If you have any questions about your coverage, then talk to our office staff. We will be happy to answer your questions and help navigate your coverage, so there are no surprises following your treatment.
Do You Have Questions About Oral Surgery?
Our team is ready to help address more severe oral health concerns with oral surgery. To learn more about your options for safely and carefully removing a tooth, then schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-897-4288. We would like to help you and your family greet 2022 with a stronger, healthier, and brighter smile.