Wisdom Teeth

“Wisdom Teeth” are the last molars (third teeth), which usually appear during the late teens until the 20s. Most people typically have four wisdom teeth (top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right).

Causes of wisdom teeth

Because the chewing system has been developed overtime. The size of the jaw bone is getting smaller and smaller, causing wisdom teeth, which are the largest final molars and don’t have enough space to grow normally. This is why we have to have removed wisdom teeth.

Characteristics of the appearance of wisdom teeth impaction

There are several types of wisdom teeth depend on the nature and angle of the wisdom teeth and the adjacent teeth which can be divided into 4 forms as follows

What kind of wisdom teeth symptoms should be removed?

Most of the time, wisdom teeth appear in late adolescence to early adulthood or working age, with some patients having no symptoms at all or some people may experience the following symptoms

• Pain, stiffness, inflammation, and possibly bleeding around the gums due to periodontal disease
• swollen gums, sometimes extending to the cheeks or jaw which is the result of inflammation or infection
• pain in the jaw
• Tooth decay due to brushing and flossing is more difficult than usual
• Abnormal taste and breath because food scraps get stuck in areas that are difficult to clean
• Difficulty opening the mouth, pain when opening the mouth in case of inflammatory swelling spreading outside the mouth

Is it necessary to have wisdom teeth removed?

You don’t need to have all wisdom teeth removed. The main reasons your dentist will recommend to remove wisdom teeth that difficult to clean. There is a risk of inflammation and later infection. Surgery in the age range of 18-25 years can be performed easily; the wound heals quickly, and have few complications. There will be no negative effects later. But if found out that patient have wisdom teeth and show the above symptoms in the period after the age of 26-50 years, it will depend on the discretion of the dentist.

Important indications for extraction or removal of wisdom teeth recommended by dentists

1. Wisdom teeth are only partially erupted.
2. That wisdom tooth used to or is causing inflammation or infection
3. Misaligned wisdom teeth
4. Wisdom teeth do not have an upper or lower pair of teeth. or impacted teeth that cause malocclusion

Why do wisdom teeth surgery?

1. The area around wisdom teeth is easily trapped by food particles causing subsequent inflammation
2. Wisdom teeth tend to decay easily because it cannot be cleaned easily.
3. Cyst sac around wisdom teeth can damage nearby gums and bones.

Is wisdom teeth surgery scary and dangerous?

The danger of wisdom teeth removal is low. If the wisdom teeth are in an abnormal position, are very deep, or are infected with inflammation will make wisdom tooth removal more complicated, time-consuming, and may increase the likelihood of side effects.

If your dentist recommends that you have to remove wisdom teeth. It shows that the dentist considers that the benefits outweigh the risks of harm and even if side effects occur most of them can be fixed and only temporary Dangers and side effects that may occur are bleeding, Dry Socket condition, inflammation, infection and injury. The treatment depends on the discretion of the specialized dentist.

If patient does not want to have wisdom teeth removed, what will be the effect?

• Tooth decay, when wisdom teeth and second molars are abnormally aligned together made it difficult to clean food particles will stuck in it and can cause cavities in both teeth.
• Bad breath, inflamed gums, tooth decay and food residue can cause bad breath. Wisdom teeth are therefore one of the main causes of bad breath. which makes you lose your personality
• The gums that cover the wisdom teeth become inflamed because some of the wisdom teeth that come out will have food particles that can get stuck easily. But difficult to clean resulting in the accumulation of bacteria can cause gingivitis, pain, swelling and pus. If left, the inflammation will spread under the chin or under the tongue affect breathing can cause life-threatening
• Forming a cyst and can also grow in size until destroying the adjacent teeth and bones around
• The bone melted from the pressure of the teeth trying to come up made the bones around Adjacent teeth are destroyed.

Does wisdom tooth removal hurt a lot? How many days will it disappear?

In fact, most patients say that wisdom tooth removal is not as painful as you think. Before wisdom tooth extraction, there will be a slight pain when the dentist injects an anesthetic. After that, it will only feel tight which is less painful compared to pain and side effects that may occur when wisdom teeth are problematic.

Wisdom tooth removal treatment is under the supervision of a specialized dentist. Therefore, after wisdom tooth extraction, the symptoms will improve within a week. In the first 2-3 days, the gums will swell, causing pain and difficult to eat. After the wound starts to heal, the symptoms will gradually improve. Patient must not forget to come to remove the stitches as scheduled approximately 7-10 days after wisdom teeth removal.

Does wisdom tooth removal have a high cost of treatment?

The cost of wisdom teeth removal depends on a number of factors, including:

1. Position of wisdom teeth wisdom teeth located deep in the jaw bone unable to sprout normally which makes the wisdom tooth removal take a long time and more complex.
2. Placement of wisdom teeth that are placed upside down or leaning close to other molars requires additional precautions in treatment.
3. Have side effects Wisdom teeth with severe inflamed gums or cysts will require additional treatment either with medication or other procedures which will make the cost of treatment higher.
4. In case the patient has complicated wisdom teeth or in a position that is difficult to cut out and was sent to a dentist specialized in surgery for further care.

Preparation before wisdom teeth removal

1. Leave work or school in advance. After wisdom teeth removal Patients may still feel pain, swelling, and sometimes the anesthetic may last up to 12-24 hours, so rest at least 1-2 days at home to recover first.
2. Take a ride or find someone to pick-up after wisdom teeth removal. The patient may feel tight and need rest. It wouldn’t be a good idea if the patient had to drive himself back. Dentists recommend having a driver to pick up the patient. Or use a taxi is better idea.
3. Take medication as instructed. Before wisdom teeth removal, the patient should ‘stop taking medicine’ or ‘take some medicine’ strictly according to the doctor’s advice. The patient must tell the dentist about the entire medication history specially drugs that interfere with blood clotting.
4. Patient are recommend to prepare a bland diet that can be eaten without much effort, such as porridge, porridge, pudding, soup or yogurt
5. Additional advice before wisdom teeth surgery

• Get enough sleep, at least 8 hours before wisdom teeth surgery.
• Wear comfortable, non-constrictive clothes if the patient has long hair. Dentists recommend that you tie your hair back neatly.
• Avoid wearing jewelry, makeup, and lipstick.

What is the procedure for wisdom teeth removal? Did it take a very long time?

Steps to remove wisdom teeth that are easy to understand, not complicated, including

1. Measure blood pressure if you have a medical condition or are very old. Your dentist will measure your blood pressure before wisdom teeth removal. Very high blood pressure can lead to abnormal and dangerous bleeding. If detected, the dentist may postpone the patient’s wisdom tooth removal appointment until the blood pressure is better.
2. Anesthetic is given before wisdom teeth removal or wisdom tooth extraction. The dentist will inject an anesthetic to the patient and check if the anesthetic is working well before starting the next step which the patient will just feel a little tightness.
3. Openings on the gills to get access to wisdom teeth that have not popped out or do not fully emerge. The dentist will cut an opening in the gum to access the wisdom tooth that needs to be carefully cut.
4. Remove wisdom teeth. Your dentist may need to remove a small amount of bone and cut the wisdom teeth into smaller pieces for easier and more convenient to remove. At this stage the patient will feel a slight stretch while the dentist is rocking to create more space for effective extraction of wisdom teeth.
5. Wash the wound and suture it after the wisdom teeth have been removed. The dentist will clean the wound and use sutures to close the wound Including make sure that there is no bleeding before giving further advice along with dispensing drugs for patients. The patient will have an appointment to remove the stitches again in the next 7-10 days.

Wisdom tooth removal usually takes about 20–45 minutes, depending on the difficulty. However, wisdom tooth removal that takes an hour is also found.

Maintaining dental health is like taking care of our physical health as well. In the event that wisdom teeth are found, which may show symptoms or not show any symptoms at all, they should not be left until other complications occur later.

The best and most important thing is to come to consult and receive treatment by a specialized dentist which will have an individualized treatment plan taking into account the safety and suitability of the patient for the most satisfactory treatment results.