Land O' Lakes Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Protect Your Smile Health
Wisdom teeth removal at Land O' Lakes Dental Care can help prevent and resolve dental health complications, including impaction, discomfort, tooth decay, cavities, cysts, and infections.
About Wisdom Teeth Removal
The four molars at the very back corners of your mouth are wisdom teeth that typically erupt between ages 17 and 25. They may become impacted (fail to erupt) due to insufficient space in the jaw or an unfavorable angle of entry.
The most common type of impacted wisdom tooth is “mesial,” which means the tooth is angled toward the front of your mouth. If we don’t remove the tooth, you may develop gum tenderness, swelling, or severe pain.
Impacted wisdom teeth, whether partially or fully erupted, are difficult to clean and are susceptible to tooth decay, recurring infections, and gum disease.
When wisdom teeth become impacted, they can create dental health complications. If this happens, an oral surgeon like Dr. Sandra Aljure-Estrada should extract the teeth to help you avoid tooth decay, cavities, cysts, and infections.
Benefits of Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Wisdom teeth often cause more harm than good, which is why many patients choose to have them removed.
At Land O' Lakes Dental Care, we recommend wisdom teeth removal for several key reasons:
Prevents Overcrowding
When wisdom teeth come in, they can push against your other teeth, causing crowding and shifting. Removing them helps preserve your smile's alignment.
Reduces Risk of Infection
Wisdom teeth are often hard to clean properly, which can lead to plaque buildup, decay, and gum disease. Removing them lowers the chances of infection and long-term oral health issues.
Prevents Impacted Teeth
Wisdom teeth that don’t fully emerge from the gums, or become impacted, can cause pain, swelling, and damage to surrounding teeth. Removal prevents these complications before they start.
Protects Neighboring Teeth
When wisdom teeth come in at awkward angles, they can put pressure on nearby teeth, potentially leading to damage or misalignment. Removing wisdom teeth ensures your other teeth stay healthy and strong.
Avoids Future Complications
Removing wisdom teeth as a preventive measure reduces the risk of needing more complex dental procedures later, such as root canals or extractions of damaged teeth.
Preparing for Your Procedure
We’ll personalize your experience at Land O' Lakes Dental Care to meet your unique needs.
First, we’ll take a panoramic X-ray to determine whether your wisdom teeth will need to be removed. If our doctor recommends removing your wisdom teeth, it’s best to proceed sooner rather than later.
The best time for wisdom teeth removal is in the late teens to early twenties, as the roots are less likely to have fully formed and the surrounding bone is less dense. These two factors make extraction easier and reduce recovery time.
The Wisdom Teeth Removal Process
To get started, Dr. Aljure-Estrada will numb the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic. If necessary, we can give you additional medication like nitrous oxide or IV sedation to sedate you during the extraction if you feel nervous about the procedure.
Because the affected tooth may still be partially under the gums and embedded in your jawbone, we may need to remove a portion of the surrounding bone to extract it.
To minimize the amount of bone removed from the tooth, Dr. Aljure-Estrada may “section” (cut into pieces) your wisdom tooth to remove each piece through a small opening in the bone.
Once we successfully extract your wisdom teeth, the healing process begins. Healing time varies based on the difficulty of the extraction, but we’ll outline what to expect and provide instructions for a comfortable, efficient recovery.
Schedule Your Wisdom Teeth Appointment In Land O' Lakes
If you’ve recently learned that you need treatment for your wisdom teeth, our team is here to help. Schedule an appointment at our Land O' Lakes office, and Dr. Aljure-Estrada will create an extraction plan that’s right for you.