As a person approaches their late teens or early 20s, this could mean the arrival of up to four new molars. The third molars, also known as wisdom teeth, often cause major problems with the alignment and health of your smile. At your Metairie, LA, oral surgery clinic, our team can help prevent these issues by gently extracting them before they arrive!
The Risks of Wisdom Teeth
What risk do these additional molars pose? Over the millennia, our mouths have evolved to no longer require these additional molars. Which means when they erupt, this can cause several problems. Since there is no room for them, this could cause misalignment, damaged teeth, and increase the risk of infection. In addition, the molars may only partially erupt, causing a painful impaction. To avoid issues with the health, function, and beauty of your smile, we want to remove these teeth prior to eruption. With tooth extraction, we can take out your wisdom teeth and preserve the appearance and function of your smile!
Planning Your Tooth Extraction
To get started, we want to examine your smile to assess the potential risk posed by these molars. We will take detailed x-rays, which use 90% less radiation and provide detailed images instantly chairside. We can walk you through the diagnosis as we pinpoint the position of the additional molars and plan their removal. Our team plans the extraction carefully to avoid contact with sinus cavities, nerve tissues, and blood vessels. We will numb the area with a local anesthesia, and our team can also offer sedation to help even nervous patients enter a deep state of calm and relaxation.
Removing The Third Molars
When you are numbed and sedated, we will open the gums above the teeth so we can access and remove them with a pair of forceps. The process could take as little as 30 minutes in some cases! The sedation takes time to wear off, so be sure someone is on hand to take you home afterward. We will provide aftercare instructions and prescriptions for medications to help facilitate a complication-free healing period. We will remove any sutures in a follow-up visit. For the first day or two, get plenty of rest, avoid straws, be gentle when you brush and floss, and eat soft foods.
If you have any questions about our approach to wisdom tooth extraction, then contact our team today to learn more.
Talk to Your Metairie, LA Dentist About Protecting Your Smile
We want to help you smile with confidence and avoid major oral health concerns, and we can do so with oral surgery. For more information on preventing complications related to third molars, reach out to our Metairie, LA oral surgery clinic at (504) 455-7161.