Oral surgeon Dr. Apel Keuroghlian of 7 Day Dental in Anaheim (http://www.7daydental.com) talks about the extraction of wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the last 4 teeth to erupt in the mouth. Most people do not have a jaw large enough to accommodate those teeth easily, and they get “impacted” wisdom teeth as a result. Some people do not need to have their wisdom teeth removed. People over age 35 whose wisdom teeth are not impacted and who have no other symptoms do not need to remove them. Generally, a dentist will evaluate a patient’s wisdom teeth around age 15 or 16. If they are impacted or causing problems for other teeth, they will recommend you have an oral surgeon remove the wisdom teeth. It is easier to remove the teeth in the teenage years because the
roots have not fully formed. Oral surgeons will extract the teeth using one of 3 types of anesthesia—local anesthesia, nitrous oxide sedation, or IV sedation. The local anesthetic administered through a syringe is the same type used in other dental procedures such as fillings and root canal treatment. The nitrous oxide is a gas administered using a nasal mask and it helps patients relax during the procedure. IV sedation is used to put the patient to sleep. After the extractions, the average recovery time is about 48 hours. When all 4 teeth are removed, patients usually want a couple days off of work or school. Learn more at: http://www.7daydental.com