Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located furthest back in your mouth. There are four wisdom teeth: two each on the top and bottom. Most people get their wisdom teeth in their teen years or early 20s. Due to the limited space in the mouth, these teeth may not have enough room to properly emerge and align with the rest of the teeth. When your wisdom teeth grow in, they tend to be misaligned or impacted, which can invite oral health issues such as gum disease, tooth decay, and existing teeth shifting out of place.

While wisdom teeth don’t always cause symptoms, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the potential symptoms:

• Bad breath
• Swelling around your jaw
• Bleeding or red gums
• Pus discharge in the back of your mouth
• Jaw pain and stiffness

Because your wisdom teeth tend to emerge prior to 25 years of age, it’s important to visit your dentist as soon as you experience symptoms to discuss wisdom teeth removal and avoid future dental problems.

Our doctors remove wisdom teeth because tooth decay is common in the back molars. The poor misalignment of your wisdom teeth can cause such issues as:

• Tooth decay in your back molars
• Gum disease or infections
• Shifting your surrounding teeth
• Damage to your jawbone

Severe dental consequences can occur if your wisdom teeth grow in at an angle or are impacted, meaning some or all of a tooth remains below the gumline. Because of this, the dentists at Brite Smiles Dental Care recommend you have X-rays of your mouth and jaw. This is the best way to determine if your wisdom teeth (3rd molars) have the potential to cause you problems.

The removal of all four of your wisdom teeth takes roughly two hours. To make sure your extraction sites heal properly, it’s important for you to apply pressure around them using gauze to control any bleeding. You may also experience swelling around the surgery site, but it should subside within 48 hours.

The dentists at Brite Smiles Dental Care recommend you avoid strenuous activity for 24 hours after surgery to facilitate a smooth recovery process. Remember to follow all post-operative instructions provided by our team to promote optimal healing and minimize discomfort. For any concerns or questions during your recovery, don't hesitate to contact our office for guidance and support.

Because your wisdom teeth can potentially cause problems, make sure to call the dental staff at Brite Smiles Dental Care today to see if you need to have yours removed. Our skilled dental professionals will assess your wisdom teeth and recommend the best course of action to prevent issues such as impaction or crowding. You can also schedule your appointment with one of our Apple Valley dentists online, ensuring convenient access to expert care for your oral health needs.

Other oral surgery procedures

Our office provides extraction services for wisdom teeth, pre-orthodontic extractions, frenectomy surgery for those who are tongue-tied, a variety of implant procedures, and periodontal surgery.

Our experienced oral surgeon, Dr. Simmons, is specially trained to do soft tissue grafting. With periodontal disease and with aging the tissue or gums start to recede. This procedure restores the tissue level around the tooth and has the added benefit of improving the look of the area around the tooth. It can make the smile look younger.