09 Sep How Tooth Extraction Could Save Your Smile
When you or a member of your family are approaching the late teens and early adulthood years, there is a real risk of up to four new molars erupting. When these arrive, this could cause serious problems for the health, beauty, and function of your smile. Your Great River Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Dubuque, IA, talk about the tooth extraction process.
The Dangers of Your Third Molars
Often, there is simply no room for these additional molars. Which means when they erupt, they may shift your teeth to create misalignment, which not only changes the appearance of your smile, but also increases the risk of issues like tooth decay and gum disease. The changes to your bite balance could leave you vulnerable to issues like TMJ disorder and even chronic teeth grinding (bruxism). There may only be enough room for a partial eruption, creating a painful impaction. The potential damage to nearby teeth could increase the risk of infection too. To prevent your third molars from impacting the health, beauty, and function of your smile, we may recommend a tooth extraction.
Planning Treatment
Our team will start with a detailed exam. With digital x-rays, we can obtain clear and high-definition images of your smile using 90% less radiation than traditional systems. The images will be available on a chairside monitor, so we can pinpoint the position of the teeth and plan the extraction in detail. We can discuss what to expect from the process, and recommend local anesthesia and dental sedation to help you remain calm and comfortable during the procedure, even if you have dental anxiety.
The Extraction Process
Once you are properly prepared and ready, our team will then gently open the gums above the teeth, so we can access and remove the wisdom teeth. We take these out with a pair of forceps, and may suture the area closed. The procedure could take as little as 30 minutes. We then provide prescriptions for medications to aid in the healing process, and will schedule a follow-up to remove sutures. You want a clot to form and not dislodge, so be gentle when you brush and floss, and in the days to come, avoid straw use, eat soft foods, and get plenty of rest.
If you have any questions about extracting wisdom teeth, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule an Appointment with Our Team in Dubuque and Clinton IA, and Platteville, WI!
We want to help you avoid major complications with your oral health! To learn more about tooth extraction, contact our team at the Great River Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery by calling our Dubuque location at (563) 557-1440, Clinton at (563) 259-4349, and Platteville at (608) 348-8955.