Up to five million people get their wisdom teeth removed every year, typically when they are between the ages of 17 and 25. Even though wisdom teeth extraction is a very common procedure, only about one in ten general dentists remove wisdom teeth; the others simply refer you or your child to a dental surgeon. However, at Martin Taylor Dentistry in Tucson, AZ, we are licensed to perform wisdom tooth extractions so that patients can receive their treatment from a dentist they know in the comfort of a familiar environment.
While some patients may experience pain or other symptoms from their wisdom teeth, in many cases, patients aren’t experiencing any symptoms or discomfort, so it may come as a surprise when their dentist suggests molar removal. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, removal may be necessary to help prevent issues such as:
Even if your wisdom teeth are not impacted, when they grow in, they can cause other issues such as crooked or crowded teeth due to lack of space, or dental decay and disease due to difficulty cleaning the teeth because they are so far back in your mouth.
In general, dentists recommend getting wisdom teeth taken out at a younger age rather than waiting until later in adulthood because they are easier to remove and heal due to lower bone density and shallower tooth roots.
We provide you with detailed instructions for care after your procedure to ensure an optimal recovery. To keep you comfortable and prevent infection, we will prescribe pain medications and antibiotics to take at home, and we will check your healing progress in a follow-up visit about a week after your extractions. Most patients need about four days to recover, so if you have your procedure done on a Thursday, you can be back at work or school by the following Monday.
The best way to determine whether you or your child need wisdom teeth extractions is through a thorough dental examination and x-rays from your family dentist. To schedule your consultation at Martin Taylor Dentistry, call us at our convenient Tucson, AZ location today at (520) 600-6925.