Concord dentist | NH |

Extractions

Dr. Doner may provide this service and will also refer his patients to an oral surgeon for more difficult extractions. Before removing a wisdom tooth, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed. A general anesthetic may also be used by an oral surgeon, especially if several or all of your wisdom teeth will be removed at the same time. A general anesthetic prevents pain in the whole body and will make you groggy or cause you to sleep through the procedure. You will most likley be advised to not eat or drink after midnight on the night before surgery, so you are prepared for the anesthetic.

After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Some stitches dissolve over time and some have to be removed after a few days. You will be told whether your stitches need to be removed and will also be provided with post-treatment instructions to follow so that you are as comfortable as possible during the recovery time.

Why It Is Done
A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. When wisdom teeth come in, a number of problems can occur:

• Your jaw may not be large enough to accommodate them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
• Your wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can become trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful. These are signs of infection.
• More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or the development of a cyst.
• One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side.
  

What To Expect After Surgery
In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take pain medication as prescribed by Dr. Doner or the oral surgeon. The following tips will help speed your recovery.

• Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically, and change pads as they become soaked with blood. Call your dentist or oral surgeon if you still have bleeding 24 hours after your surgery.
• While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip, or your tongue.
• Do not lie flat. This may prolong bleeding. Prop up your head with pillows.
• Try using an ice pack on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours. You can use moist heat (such as a wash cloth soaked in warm water and wrung out) for the following 2 or 3 days.
• Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.
  Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or a thin soup or broth. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.
• Do not use a drinking straw for the first few days, because sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot and delay healing!
• After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
• Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion can loosen the clot and delay healing. In addition, smoking decreases the blood supply and can bring germs and contaminants to the surgery area.
• Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers and continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.
• Your dentist will remove the stitches after a few days, if needed.

How Well It Works
Wisdom tooth removal usually is effective in preventing:

• Crowding of the back teeth.
• A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw (impacted) and never breaking through the gums.
• Red, swollen, and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth that has only partially come in.
• Gum disease and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth, which may be harder to clean than other teeth, or in the teeth and jaw in the area of the wisdom tooth.