What to Expect during Wisdom Tooth Removal
Wisdom tooth removal is a short outpatient procedure that removes problematic wisdom teeth to restore health to your smile. As an oral surgeon, Dr. Andrew Glenn can extract you or your child's wisdom teeth at his office in Lincoln, NE. While the exact steps involved are determined by the specifics of the case, our team takes every measure to ensure your comfort during your wisdom tooth removal procedure. To this end, we offer sedation dentistry, such as local anesthesia and nitrous oxide.
An impacted wisdom tooth can lead to numerous oral health problems, from damaged neighboring teeth to infection.
Planning Your Treatment
Before your removal procedure, you will need to meet with Dr. Glenn for a consultation. During this meeting, he will take an x-ray or cone beam CT scan to assess the location and position of your wisdom teeth. With this information, he can precisely plan the extraction. Based on this plan, he can also give you a cost estimate for your treatment.
During Your Procedure
On the day of your surgery, Dr. Glenn will first numb the area using a local anesthetic. If your procedure is more complex or if you are nervous about treatment, we can also offer you sedation to help you relax. We provide both nitrous oxide and intravenous (IV) sedation at our office, to provide different levels of comfort depending on your needs.
Simple Extractions
If your wisdom tooth has already erupted through the gum line, Dr. Glenn can perform a simple extraction to remove it. Using forceps, he will grasp the tooth and gently rock the tooth back and forth until the roots loosen from the socket. Once the tooth is extracted, he can clean the area and pack it with gauze to encourage a clot to form.
Wisdom tooth removal can help protect the health of your smile against infection, misalignment, and other concerns.
Impacted Wisdom Tooth Removal
When a tooth does not erupt properly, it becomes impacted or stuck below the gum line or in the jawbone. Dr. Glenn can perform extractions for a variety of types of impacted wisdom teeth. During the procedure, Dr. Glenn will:
- Make an incision in the gum tissue to access the tooth
- Remove any bone blocking the tooth root
- Separate the tooth into sections if it is easier to remove in pieces
- Extract the tooth
- Clean the site carefully
In certain cases, Dr. Glenn will need to place sutures to hold the gums in place while they heal. Once the procedure is complete, we may place gauze over the extraction site to control the bleeding and encourage clotting.
After Your Procedure
If you receive sedation during your procedure, we will keep you in the office for a short period of time to allow the effects to wear off. You will likely need someone to drive you home, as well. Before you leave, we will provide you with detailed instructions on what to do during recovery. You may need to return to our office to have your sutured removed, though in many cases, we can place sutures which dissolve within a few weeks.
Protect Your Oral Health
Since most patients do not have enough room in their jaw for wisdom teeth to erupt properly, a wide range of oral health issues can stem from leaving the third molars in place. Wisdom tooth removal can help protect the health of your smile against infection, misalignment, and other concerns. For more information about this treatment, contact our office online or call (402) 421-3401 today.
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