Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Removing your wisdom teeth might seem inconvenient, but the short procedure can help you avoid tooth decay, gum disease, jaw pain, and more. At Newport Dental in Bellevue, Washington, general and family dentists Sarah Park, DDS, David Rubinov, DDS, and the team of experienced dental providers perform wisdom teeth extractions to treat or help you avoid future complications. For more information about the wisdom teeth removal procedure, call the office or book an appointment online today.

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth are the four farthest back molars in your mouth — you have one on each side of your upper arch and one on each side of your lower arch. Unlike your other teeth and molars, they usually emerge during late adolescence after all of your other adult teeth are present. However, because of overcrowding, they often become impacted. Impacted teeth are teeth that either can’t emerge fully above the gumline or at all. 

If you have impacted wisdom teeth, they might grow at an angle and place pressure on other nearby teeth. They can damage other teeth, form cysts, or contribute to gum disease and tooth decay. Your provider might recommend booking wisdom teeth removal to avoid complications like these. Even if your wisdom teeth aren’t impacted, your provider might still recommend removal as a precaution against future problems. 

How does wisdom teeth removal work?

In most cases, the team at Newport Dental performs wisdom teeth removal using local anesthesia to keep the area numb. For highly complex wisdom teeth removal, they might offer general anesthesia instead.

During the procedure, your provider makes an incision in your gums for access to the tooth. They remove the connective tissue connecting the tooth to your jawbone before gently pulling the tooth from its place. In some cases, they may need to cut the tooth into sections and remove them one at a time or even remove some of the bone around the tooth. 

Once the wisdom tooth is out, your provider cleans and sanitizes the area before closing the incision in your gums with stitches. They place gauze over the site to control bleeding and repeat the process for each of your wisdom teeth.

What should I expect after wisdom teeth removal?

Wisdom teeth removal doesn’t take very long in the office, but recovery can take up to a week. During this time, you’ll need to follow your provider’s instructions closely for safe healing. They may tell you to:

• Avoid smoking and tobacco use
• Avoid alcohol
• Eat only soft foods
• Drink lots of water
• Limit your activity
• Replace the gauze
• Use an ice pack to control swelling
• Take medications for the pain and swelling

The team may use dissolvable stitches, so you won’t need a follow-up appointment to remove them. If you need to book a second appointment to remove stitches that don’t dissolve, the team will tell you before your appointment. 

If you or your child’s wisdom teeth are causing problems as they develop, call Newport Dental or book an appointment online today.