Wisdom teeth extraction

The extraction of wisdom teeth is Among the most common small oral surgery practices and requests.

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are also called third molars; are called "of judgment" because tend to erupt in the adult individual, from about 17 to 30 years, although their eruption may occur earlier, later, or not at all.

Why do we have wisdom teeth?

Our wisdom teeth are a ancestral heritage, a "legacy" left to us by our ancestors; primitive humans, in fact, had a very different diet from ours: they ate raw meat, raw vegetables and roots, hard foods that they were able to chew thanks to 4 extra teeth.

Over the millennia, thanks to changes in diet, habits and thanks to evolution, the third molars (four in all, two above and two below) have become unnecessary: in some people they erupt without giving problems, in others they do not erupt at all, and for still other people it is necessary to remove them.

Whatever the situation, not having them has no negative consequence on chewing or phonation.

Evolution several centuries from now will result in humans being born directly without wisdom teeth-some people are already being born without them!

Why can wisdom teeth give problems?

With evolution, the size of our jawbone has decreased: that is why wisdom teeth--being the last to erupt--often Do not have room to position themselves properly along the dental arch and their eruption can cause an imbalance that Negatively affects the whole dental set-up.

It may happen that the tooth erupts only partially: in this situation it is very difficult to be able to practice good oral hygiene and frequently thel tartar accumulates resulting in the risk of caries, which can move on to affect the neighboring tooth as well.

Moreover, this situation leads the bacteria contained in plaque to enter the gums and cause painful infections that cause intense pain and/or fever and need to be treated with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.

Other times the wisdom tooth is entirely placed under the gingiva within the bone in a horizontal position; in this way there is no chance of it erupting, and if it should begin to bother since it "presses" on neighboring teeth the only solution is to extract it.

How to know if I have wisdom teeth and if I should remove them?

If wisdom teeth have not come out the only way to "see" them is to through a panoramic X-ray showing us their presence and location within the mouth.

Usually if an unerupted wisdom tooth does not cause discomfort, there is no need to remove it; a possible extraction is considered when the tooth causes discomfort or pain.

Does removing wisdom teeth hurt?

Extracting wisdom teeth is a rather quick routine operation performed under local anaesthesia; the duration of the procedure depends on the complexity of the specific case: an already erupted wisdom tooth is easier to extract than an included wisdom tooth placed horizontally.

After surgery It is normal to experience the following symptoms:

• bleeding (first day)
• swelling and bruising
• pain

In order to keep these annoying symptoms at bay, the dentist prescribes a supportive drug therapy.

In the days following the operation, it is important:

• sleep with your head elevated By multiple pillows to decrease bleeding
• eat cold, soft foods or liquids
• do not brush the affected part
• not inhale or spit
• not smoking
• not to drink spirits
• not to do intense physical activity

If the pain becomes too intense, the bleeding too profuse, or there are other worrisome symptoms, it is necessary to return to the dentist for a follow-up review.