Gentle Extractions With Dr. Ketron
Sometimes, to best preserve your oral health, tooth extraction is necessary. While tooth extraction has an intimidating reputation, our Lubbock dentist provides safe and gentle surgical extractions. When patients don’t have room in their mouths to accommodate wisdom teeth, Dr. Ketron makes the process of removing them a straightforward experience.
Explore the wisdom teeth extraction process below with our patient-friendly guide.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that don’t erupt until your late teens or early twenties. Most patients’ mouths don’t have room to accommodate their wisdom teeth, resulting in the need for extraction. If your wisdom teeth begin to erupt without enough space, they can become impacted.
Impacted wisdom teeth become stuck below the surface of your gums or don’t have enough room to break through. When wisdom teeth become impacted, they can cause severe pain, damage to your other teeth, and potential dental issues in the future. We recommend removing impacted wisdom teeth as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
There are a few symptoms to look out for when dealing with impacted wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause:
- Severe tooth pain
- Inflamed or bleeding gums
- Pain or swelling around the jaw
- Headaches
- Persistent bad breath
- Cysts in the area
- Sinus problems
- Limited jaw function
In certain cases, the affected tooth may break through the gums. This is known as a fully impacted wisdom tooth.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction Procedure
Our exceptional Lubbock dental team will safely and gently remove your wisdom teeth in one appointment. You can expect the following:
- We’ll administer a local anesthetic and dental sedation to ensure a comfortable, pain-free extraction.
- Our dentist will open up your gum tissue to gently remove the wisdom tooth.
- Once all wisdom teeth have been removed, we’ll carefully stitch up the surgical areas and you’ll start the healing process.
Aftercare
To properly recover from a wisdom teeth extraction, you’ll want to rest for the first few days. Dr. Ketron will provide you with instructions on how to properly care for your surgical sites and avoid the risks of complications. Make sure to pay close attention to your extraction sites on the day of your surgery, as they’ll be at their most sensitive and vulnerable.
Following your wisdom teeth extraction, please follow the following tips to ensure a good recovery:
- Apply gauze over the surgical sites to control bleeding.
- Take prescribed or over-the-counter medications to control pain.
- Place ice packs on the outside of your cheeks to ease swelling and bruising.
- Rest for the remainder of the day after your surgery and the next day as well.
- Avoid strenuous activities for at least one week.
- Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol, hot beverages, and caffeine.
- Stick to soft food and liquid diet for at least 48 hours.
- Don’t perform your oral hygiene routine for the first 24 hours.