Wisdom teeth extraction is one of the most common consultations in oral surgery. In many cases this operation is necessary to prevent damage to the rest of the teeth and preserve oral health, but it is the patient who has the final say in deciding whether to have his or her wisdom teeth removed. Thus, it is very important that the maxillofacial surgeon knows how to inform about the operation and the reasons for performing it.
Does surgery to remove wisdom teeth require general anesthesia?
Wisdom tooth extractions, commonly known as wisdom tooth extraction, with or without surgery, are routinely performed in the dental clinic, ideally by a specialist in oral surgery. Specifically, wisdom teeth extractions are usually performed in the same act the upper and lower on the same side, and after two or three weeks the other side are performed. In this way the four molars are extracted in a short time, but always leaving one side free to facilitate the functions of chewing and speech.
What anesthesia is used in the extraction of wisdom teeth?
In a very high percentage of cases, general anesthesia is not necessary. It will only be used when the degree of surgical involvement is very high or in patients with difficulty of handling. When general anesthesia is used, it must be performed in a hospital environment and by a professional specialist in anesthesiology.
The patient decides whether to have wisdom teeth extracted.
Wisdom teeth do not always cause pain. Therefore, the patient should be informed by a dentist or maxillofacial surgeon about the reasons for removing wisdom teeth. The main reasons why this surgery is recommended are the following:
- Normally, besides having no function and not having enough space in the jaws, in most cases they are causing disorders in the neighboring molars and often they are also the cause of periodontal problems.
- In many cases, in order to perform some dental treatments it is essential to extract the wisdom teeth.
It will always be the patient who decides to perform the extraction.
How long will it take for the patient to return to normal life?
Once the extractions have been performed, the patient’s recovery period will depend on whether the procedure has been performed with or without surgery:
- If it has been done without surgery, dental hygiene instructions will be given and the patient usually will not feel pain or inflammation. In these cases the patient will be able to resume normal life immediately, with the condition of not doing intense exercise for a few days.
- If the exodontia has been surgical, the patient will take antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs as prescribed by the doctor and will be given thorough dental hygiene instructions.
Depending on the degree of complexity of the operation, it is normal to feel certain discomfort and inflammation during the first days, which will subside with the intake of anti-inflammatory and analgesics, thus allowing the patient to lead a normal life from the first day, although with an inflamed face. In no case should heavy or intense exercise be performed until the stitches are removed, seven to ten days after dental surgery.
What other surgical interventions can be performed in the mouth?
The specialist in oral surgery deals with a wide range of surgical interventions, especially when he is part of a well-coordinated interdisciplinary team where a solution is given to all the diversity of dental and oral treatments.
Thus, in addition to the field of implantology and bone regeneration, the oral surgery department performs apicoectomies, extraction of infected teeth, odontosections, placement of micro-implants for orthodontics, fenestrations to discover included canines and their subsequent traction in orthodontics?
In short, all oral surgery other than soft tissue surgery, since these operations are a more specific field of the periodontist.