Wisdom Teeth Removal

The extraction of a tooth is meant to provide relief from your symptoms. It should never cause more pain.

At the start of your visit, we will administer local anesthesia to completely numb the treatment area, and we offer sedation to help you feel relaxed during the procedure. While you are recovering, you can also minimize discomfort by following our post-operative instructions and taking over-the-counter pain medication. Most patients are free of any discomfort within 10 days after surgery.

It's important to keep in mind a huge number of patients don't experience symptoms yet, but could still benefit from wisdom tooth removal. Prophylactic, or preventive, removal might be recommended if your dentist or oral surgeon determines the third molars will cause issues in the future. 

This is just one more reason it's important to undergo twice-yearly exams and cleanings. Dental X-rays are a simple, effective way for your doctor to monitor your oral health and let you know if you should consider having your wisdom teeth removed.

In addition to experiencing symptoms or showing signs you could benefit from wisdom tooth extraction in the future, you should also be healthy enough to undergo oral surgery. Ensuring you have a healthy foundation–both for your mouth and your entire body–will minimize your risk of complications during and after wisdom tooth removal. 

• If you smoke, we will discuss the minimum amount of time you will need to refrain from using tobacco before and after the procedure. Ideally, you should quit. 
• If you have conditions like poorly controlled diabetes that could make surgery risky, you'll need to address these issues first. 
• If you have active gum disease or other oral health concerns, we can discuss whether those will need to be treated first before your wisdom teeth can come out.

Once we determine wisdom tooth removal is right for you, we can schedule your surgery and provide you with pre-operative instructions. Some general pointers include:

• Don't wear jewelry, including facial piercings
• Don't wear contact lenses 
• Don't wear nail polish or fake nails
• Wear a short-sleeve shirt and closed-toe shoes without a heel
• For one week before the procedure, don't take aspirin, Vitamin E, St. Johns Wart, Ginko biloba, or over-the-counter diet or herbal medication
• Take regularly prescribed medications (except for Insulin or Glyburide)
• You can take ibuprofen the night beforehand to control swelling (optional)
• Make sure not to eat for six hours before you undergo anesthesia
• You can continue drinking sips or clear liquid up to two hours before surgery
   

We'll discuss these directions in further detail during your consultation. Please make sure to bring a complete list of medications you currently take, along with any questions you have.

The best thing about wisdom tooth removal is that you only have to do it once. After your wisdom teeth are extracted, you can enjoy relief from discomfort and other symptoms caused by problematic wisdom teeth. 

As with any surgery, wisdom tooth removal does carry some risks. We may give you antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection, but you should contact our office if you experience symptoms such as: 

• Pain lasting longer than a few days 
• Swelling that gets worse with time
• Excessive bleeding
• Fever 
• Numbness in the treatment area 
• Pain or bleeding when blowing your nose 
• A persistent bad taste 

Following a surgical procedure, every patient of our Tampa, FL, practice is given their doctor’s cell phone number. We encourage you to call our surgical team immediately if you notice any concerning symptoms.   

Choosing to extract a tooth that is causing oral health issues can save you money on future treatments needed to repair or replace damaged teeth, making it a great investment in your oral health. For example, if impaction damages a neighboring tooth in a way that cannot be repaired through restorative treatments, a dental implant and a replacement tooth may be necessary. Although this is a durable and highly functional solution, a dental implant is far more expensive than wisdom tooth extraction. Additionally, preservation of natural tissue is always preferable to implants.