Teenagers and adults must understand the signs of impacted wisdom teeth so that they can seek help from their dentist as fast as possible. Many individuals have mouths that are too small for wisdom teeth, so the teeth will remain in the gums underneath other teeth or alveolar bones while creating pressure. Here are the signs of impacted wisdom teeth.

Sign 1: Pain in the Gums

If you notice chronic pain in the gums toward the back of the mouth, then you may have impacted wisdom teeth. It is possible to have one or more wisdom teeth, and you may only feel pain in one area of your mouth. However, during a dental examination, a dentist can collect X-rays to determine if you have several third molars. Most dentists will remove all of the wisdom teeth at one time so that you only need one recovery process.

Sign 2: Headaches, Sinus Pressure, or Earaches

The third molars are located in sensitive areas of your mouth, so you can experience earaches, sinus pressure, or headaches when the wisdom teeth are impacted. Taking medications for these problems can help you to feel better for a few hours, but you will continue to have problems unless you arrange surgery to have the third molars removed.

Sign 3: Foul Breath Odor

When you have a foul breath odor that won’t go away, you should visit your dentist to determine if there is an oral health problem. While poor dental hygiene can lead to halitosis from tooth decay or gum disease, the inflammation in the gum tissues from impacted wisdom teeth can cause bad breath.

Sign 4: Bleeding Gum Tissues

An impacted wisdom tooth can lead to bleeding from your gum’s sensitive tissues. This is because the tooth is struggling to push through a tiny space between the other teeth or toward the back of the mouth. In some cases, a wisdom tooth will try to erupt from the sides of the gum tissue, disturbing the blood vessels that are in your gums.

Sign 5: Problems with the Joints of the Jaw

The impacted wisdom teeth can lead to problems with the joints of the jaw, making it difficult to open the mouth to eat food or to talk. In some cases, the jaw joints will lock, making it impossible to close the mouth after opening it.

Sign 6: A Bad Taste in the Mouth

With the inflammation in the mouth from the impacted third molars, you can develop a bad taste in the mouth that won’t go away with frequent brushing and flossing. This horrible taste can make it impossible to enjoy beverages and foods, leading to nutritional deficiencies that can affect the health of your teeth and gums.

Call Our Dental Office Today

If you have one or more signs of impacted wisdom teeth, then contact Mountain View Dental in Pleasant View, Utah today. Our office receptionist can arrange an appointment in our comfortable and professional dental facility.

Tooth extraction is a fairly straightforward surgical procedure, but it is still a surgical procedure. This means that there are some things the patient should do and other things they should avoid in the hours and days after the tooth is pulled.

Some Things To Do Are:

Do's and Don'ts After a Tooth Extraction

Rest
Because an extraction is so simple, most patients feel that they need to get back into the swing of things as soon as possible. This is a mistake. The body still needs to heal, so it is best if the patient takes it easy for a day or two.

Use Ice Packs
It is normal for that part of the face where the tooth was extracted to be a bit swollen. It is okay to put an ice pack against it, but never put ice directly on the skin. Dentists recommend that the ice pack be put on for 15 minutes, and taken off for 15 minutes in one- to two-hour stretches of time.

Let the Clot Form
A blood clot is going to form where the tooth was pulled. This is normal and is part of healing. After the extraction, the dentist will place some gauze over the clot. The patient should bite down on it, and make sure it’s kept in place for an hour or more. Replaced it after it becomes saturated. One well-known tip is to place a wet, cold tea bag over the surgical site and bite down on it if the bleeding doesn’t stop. The tannic acid in the tea can stop the bleeding and help the area to clot.

Call the Doctor If Things Get Worse
The patient should call the doctor if their bleeding doesn’t stop, if their pain medicine doesn’t work and if they experience nausea or vomiting. They should call if swelling and redness gets worse instead of better, there are signs of pus in the surgical wound, or if they develop a dry socket. This is when the clot either fails to form or falls out. This exposes the nerves and delays healing.

Here Are Some Don’ts:

Don’t Eat Solid Foods Right After Your Surgery
For one thing, the patient is going to be numb on one side after the surgery. If they eat immediately, they may end up chewing their tongue or the inside of their cheek. Only take solids after the numbness wears off. In the meantime, eat a soft or liquid diet.

Don’t Skip Medications
The patient shouldn’t wait till they are in excruciating pain before they take their pain medications, and they must finish the entire course of antibiotics no matter how well they feel.

When it comes to wisdom teeth, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether to keep them or to have them extracted, especially if they’re not causing any pain or discomfort. For many people, particularly young adults, oral surgery to remove wisdom teeth is a rite of passage and just another one of life’s unpleasant necessities. But what happens if you opt to keep your wisdom teeth, and how does doing so impact your overall oral health? In this article, we will detail what having your wisdom teeth extracted entails and also the consequences associated with leaving them intact.

WHAT ARE WISDOM TEETH?

Before going over the importance of having your wisdom teeth removed, let’s take a moment to understand what they are and how they impact your oral health. Essentially, wisdom teeth are characterized as the third set of molars that protrude from the gums, usually in your late teens or early twenties. In some cases, wisdom teeth are healthy and are no different than other teeth in terms of function; however, in many cases, they’re misaligned and will require removal. Once wisdom teeth break through the gum tissue, they are either angled away from the second molars or towards them. In some cases, they may point inward or outward. In either scenario, these teeth become poorly aligned, often resulting in tooth crowding and other serious dental problems.

SHOULD WISDOM TEETH BE REMOVED EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT CAUSING YOU PAIN?

If you’re fortunate enough to have your wisdom teeth come in straight, and they’re otherwise healthy, there is a good chance that you can forgo having them removed. However, this is rarely ever the case for most people. At the very least, most dentists will recommend having your wisdom teeth removed as a preventive measure as it can help minimize damage to other teeth. The same applies to wisdom teeth that have not erupted and may not be causing any pain or discomfort. In many cases, these teeth can become trapped beneath the gum and may cause additional dental problems. In any event, it would be ill-advised to keep your wisdom teeth.

HOW DO DENTISTS REMOVE WISDOM TEETH?

There are many factors that determine the complexity involved in having wisdom teeth extracted including age and position of the teeth. That said, the extraction process is determined based on whether or not the wisdom teeth have fully erupted through the gum, meaning if the wisdom teeth have erupted through the gum, a standard extraction is all that is needed. On the other hand, if the teeth are trapped below the gum, an incision will be required to free the tooth from the jawbone, which requires that the tooth is removed piece by piece. It is worth noting that the process is relatively painless as you will be given a local anesthetic like novocaine, for example. However, you will still feel the tugging and pulling sensations typical of any tooth extracting procedure.

In summation, it is always a good idea to have your wisdom teeth extracted as it can help minimize future dental problems or resolve the ones you may already have. If your wisdom teeth are causing you pain, you’re encouraged to contact Mountain View Dental today.

Unfortunately, all of us will eventually have to undergo a tooth extraction at some point during our lives. While we all do our best to avoid losing a permanent tooth, age and wear and tear on our enamel over time often leads to decay or cavities that are so severe that there is no way to save the tooth. A tooth that gets severely broken during an accident or injury is also only treatable through extraction in many cases.

Talk to Your Dentist

The most important step you can take in preparing yourself for a tooth extraction is to speak with your dentist. Let the dentist know if you are on any medications. It is also a good idea to disclose any current health issues that you might be experiencing, such as systemic disorders. You should also let your dentist know if you have an artificial heart valve or artificial joint.

Arrange For Someone to Accompany You

Tooth removal almost always involves the use of heavy anesthesia. In most cases, your dentist will ask you to sign an agreement stating that you will not be driving yourself home or operating any heavy equipment after the procedure. It is always advisable that you arrange for someone to accompany you to the procedure so that they can drive you home afterward.

Hydrate Yourself

One of the best ways to combat the sometimes unpleasant side effects from anesthesia is to make sure that your body is really well hydrated. With plenty of fluids in your body, your system will be in a better state to process and remove the anesthesia from your system once your procedure is finished. Your immune system will also not be inhibited from dehydration, so the healing process can begin much more quickly.

Free up 24 Hours to Rest

It is highly recommended that once your tooth extraction procedure is completed, that you give your body at least 24 hours to rest. This small one day rest period will jump-start your immune system and give your body a chance to start healing itself. After a tooth is extracted there will be some minor bleeding and soreness in the area, so there will be some healing that needs to take place. The 24 hour resting period will also give your body plenty of time to fully recover from the effects of the anesthesia.

Mountain View Dental Can Help

Our friendly and experienced staff can help you prepare for tooth extraction in a manner that puts you at ease. We follow a set protocol in order to thoroughly screen each patient to make sure that they are fully prepared for tooth removal. Going into such a procedure will all of the necessary information is the best way to get through it without any stress or concern. We will also help you deal with any post-procedure concerns that you might have, as we want you on the road to healing as quickly as possible.

For any questions or concerns on how to prepare for tooth extraction procedures, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

One of the only times that you typically hear people talk about wisdom teeth is when they are discussing removing them. You might be wondering what the purpose of these teeth are if we just take them out as soon as they grow in. It turns out that there is a fascinating historical reason behind the purpose of wisdom teeth.

What Do Wisdom Teeth Do?

Wisdom teeth fall into a category of the tooth called molars. Molars are the strongest and largest type of teeth that people have, and they are situated at the back of the mouth. Their uniquely flat shape is ideal for grinding up food. The main purpose of wisdom teeth is simply to break your food into tiny pieces that can be swallowed and digested with ease.

Why Do We Grow Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth were an essential part of our ancestors’ tooth development. These teeth were essential back in the times when humans primarily ate nuts, roots, meat, and whole grains. The ancient diet was filled with rough food that humans did not have the equipment or skill to cook until soft, so humans needed to be able to grind food into tiny bits. As humans gained the ability to cook food and turn grain into flour, wisdom teeth became less important. Many people no longer develop all of their wisdom teeth, and now they may only grow somewhere between one to four.

Do We Still Need Wisdom Teeth Today?

Since wisdom teeth were so useful to humans in the past, some people wonder why they are typically taken out today. The issue is that humans jaws have been gradually getting smaller and smaller over the years. Though we still have wisdom teeth, the average person’s mouth is no longer large enough to fit these teeth comfortably. Since there is no room for wisdom teeth, as they erupt out of the jaw, they can damage nearby teeth and shift the rest of the teeth in your mouth. In many cases, the tooth gets stuck halfway out of the gum because there is no more room for it to emerge, leading to a painful infection in the back of a person’s mouth. Since they are no longer needed for a modern diet and cause so many issues, many people just go ahead and get them removed.

If you have concerns or questions about wisdom teeth or any other dental or oral care issue, please contact Mountain View Dental today. We treat a countless number of patients inside our comfortable and professional office. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call (385) 324-3557.

Your very last molars, or wisdom teeth, are the final set to appear in your mouth. While some people’s back molars come in with no problems, the majority of teens and adults don’t have enough room in their mouth to accommodate the extra teeth. Unfortunately, this leads to issues with crowding, and your wisdom teeth may be impacted or unable to grow completely through the gums. Pain, swelling, and cavities near the gum line are just a few symptoms that may lead to a need for removal. Fortunately, most problems that come from wisdom teeth quickly go away once the teeth are removed, and you can use these strategies to prepare for your recovery.

Prepare for the Procedure

Wisdom teeth removal recovery is affected by your current state of health at the time of the procedure. For this reason, your dentist may recommend that you make lifestyle changes before your appointment. For instance, quitting smoking helps to improve blood flow to the soft tissues of your mouth that promotes faster healing. Make sure to eat a nutritious meal and get a good night’s rest before your appointment so that your body is ready to begin healing immediately after your wisdom teeth are extracted.

Plan to Eat Soft Foods

Most people feel better within just a couple of days after their wisdom tooth procedure. However, you still need to take precautions as you eat to avoid harming the removal site. Typically, you will need to stick to a liquid or soft food diet during the first 24 hours after your surgery, and you should avoid certain foods until the area is healed such as extremely hot items that could cause a burn near the extraction site.

Address Pain and Discomfort

The truth is that most people have some degree of pain and discomfort after wisdom teeth extractions. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to ease this part of your wisdom teeth removal recovery. For instance, your dentist may prescribe pain relievers that also reduce the inflammation. Some people often find it helpful to hold a cold pack on the outside of their cheeks to alleviate pain and swelling.

Promote Wound Healing

The soft tissues of your mouth heal rather quickly provided that you take care of the extraction site. Once the teeth are removed, your body forms a clot in the hole left behind. This clot is necessary for healing, and you will need to follow special instructions to keep it from getting dislodged. Make sure to abstain from activities that generate suction in your mouth such as smoking, drinking from straws, or vigorously slurping as you eat. In addition to these temporary lifestyle changes, keep an eye out for warning signs of a potential problem with the extraction site such as increasing pain or continued bleeding beyond the first day. This way, you can report the problem to your dentist and get prompt treatment that helps you stay on track for a healthy recovery.

At Mountain View Dental, we believe that recovering from dental procedures should always be comfortable. Give us a call today with your questions about wisdom teeth removal so that we can help you make the best decisions for your oral health.

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