I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
The third molars (or wisdom teeth, as they are more commonly known) are the final teeth to emerge from the upper and lower gums. They often appear during late adolescence; however, in some cases, they may not arrive until a person reaches their early twenties. These teeth can cause a number of problems, which is why dentists often recommend having them extracted.
What type of problems might result in a wisdom tooth being removed?
Oftentimes, wisdom teeth are misaligned when they erupt from the gums. This can lead to them crowding and damaging the surrounding teeth. It can also result in the movement of adjacent molars, to the point where the person's bite (the way that their teeth meet) is altered; this can affect their speech and their ability to chew their food properly.
An impacted (or partially emerged) wisdom tooth can also lead to serious issues, one of which is pericoronitis. This is a type of infection which is caused by food particles becoming trapped inside the gap in the gum that the impacted tooth creates. Because these particles cannot be reached with a toothbrush or floss, they eventually begin to fester; this, in turn, encourages the growth of bacteria which inflame and infect the surrounding gum tissue. If left untreated, pericoronitis can spread from the area around the wisdom tooth to both the throat and the neck.
What are some of the symptoms of misaligned or impacted wisdom teeth?
If a wisdom tooth is misaligned, it can cause stiffness and pain in their jaw, as well as changes in a person's bite; they may notice that other teeth in their mouth have changed position or that they cannot chew their food as thoroughly as they once could.
If the tooth is impacted, the symptoms might include swelling of the gums, pain around the affected tooth and foul-smelling breath.
What happens during a wisdom tooth extraction?
If the extraction is not expected to a particularly complex one, the patient will be given a local anaesthetic, which will numb their mouth but allow them to stay awake throughout the process. However, if the wisdom tooth is severely impacted or misaligned and the extraction will, therefore, be more difficult, the procedure will be carried out under general anaesthesia, meaning that the patient will be unconscious.
After the patient has been anaesthetised, the oral surgeon or dentist will use a special dental tool to clasp the wisdom tooth. They will then gently push it backwards and forwards so that it starts to loosen. At this point, it may be possible for them to remove it.
However, in cases where the tooth is positioned at an awkward angle which makes it harder to extract, they may need to create an incision in the gum tissue around it, so that they can scrape away any bone which may be preventing them from fully grasping the tooth. In some instances, they may also break the tooth into smaller pieces, to make the removal process slightly easier.
After the extraction is complete, the site from which the tooth was removed is thoroughly cleaned. If an incision was made, dissolvable stitches will usually be used to close up the wound. Gauze may then be placed over the site to manage blood flow.
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