A. Not everyone has to get their wisdom teeth removed but the majority of people simply do not have room for their
wisdom teeth to grow in straight and assume a healthy position in their mouth. If they can't grow in all the way, there is a
gum flap that tends to trap food and bacteria. This area is highly prone to infection, and due to the poor
blood supply
in the area, the infections can get nasty.Q. My wisdom teeth sometimes hurt and then it goes away. What does that mean?
A. Many people with impacted wisdom teeth - wisdom teeth
that have no room to grown in all they way - experience
chronic infections. It doesn't necessarily get serious, but it doesn't get better either. If they sometimes bother you, it is
very likely that they are infected and should be
removed before a serious infection develops.
Q. Is there anything you can do if your wisdom teeth hurt?
A. If your wisdom teeth hurt, the best thing to do is to seek professional care. If you
just take pain medicine, the
infection can worsen and get out of control, causing severe pain and swelling. Until you can get to a dentist, you can
use warm salt water rinses of 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of water. Rinse
every hour or two until the symptoms
get a lot better and get professional help.
Q. What can I get to make wisdom tooth surgery easier on me?
A. To make wisdom tooth extraction easier, don't
wait for them to get really infected. At the first sign that they are
impacted or could become problematic, schedule a time to remove them. In addition, take extra vitamins and minerals
to enhance healing. This can be started 1 - 2
weeks prior to surgery. And lastly, make sure the dentist is experienced in
wisdom tooth extractions.
Q. What can I do to heal faster after wisdom tooth surgery?
A. Faster healing depends on
following the doctors instructions of rest after the surgery, using ice on the outside of
your jaw, keeping pressure with gauze on the extraction site and keeping your head elevated. In addition, extra vitamins
and minerals will
aid the body to repair the surgical site.
Q. Do you need stitches after wisdom tooth extractions?
A. Stitches or sutures after wisdom teeth extractions are often used to securely position the
tissues to speed up post
extraction healing. Sometimes they are not needed, so it depends on your individual situation.
Q. What is a dry socket?
A. After a tooth is extracted a blood clot forms
in the socket. Then, over the next several weeks and months, the new
gum and bone grows into the blood clot and replaces the blood clot. If the blood clot dissolves prematurely, the
extraction socket is left empty, so it is called
a dry socket. This leaves the bone uncovered and can be quite painful.
This is not an infection so antibiotics are rarely needed.
Q. How is a dry socket treated?
A. A dry socket, if it occurs
is treated to keep the interior walls of the tooth extraction site, under the gum line,
covered to take away the pain. Once the blood clot breaks down, there is nothing that can be done except to place
medicine in the extraction
site until it starts to heal on its own. Some people might need this done once and others
might need it done every day or two for a week or more along with appropriate medicine for pain. Although it is quite
uncomfortable, it
almost always heals uneventfully.
Q. Can a dry socket be prevented?
A. Studies have shown that premature loss of blood clots happens in 8% to 10% of wisdom teeth extractions. To get
the odds in
your favor, follow the instructions of the doctor and take extra vitamins and minerals to enhance the healing
potential of your body.
