What is Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

What is Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

Wisdom teeth are the last molars that emerge at the back of the upper and lower jaws. There are a total of 4 wisdom teeth that come in.

While these teeth may come in smoothly for some individuals, they can remain partially or fully impacted for others.

Especially due to insufficient space in the jaw, wisdom teeth trying to erupt can cause symptoms such as redness, swelling, tenderness, pain, or limited mouth opening in the surrounding gum tissue.

Impacted wisdom teeth that are partially erupted, fully impacted, decayed, or causing gum infections should be extracted. Failure to remove these teeth can lead to infection and bone loss in the area.

How Do We Detect Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

We can detect impacted wisdom teeth using radiographs obtained from the patient. With this detection, we can diagnose a potentially problematic wisdom tooth early and plan treatment accordingly. We can save you from a disease-causing tooth.

What Are the Symptoms of Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth may sometimes come in without any symptoms. However, in some cases, they can cause redness, swelling, lymph node tenderness, pain, or limited mouth opening in the surrounding gum tissue due to insufficient space in the jaw.

In such cases, we diagnose the problem caused by your wisdom teeth and relieve you of these issues by extracting the tooth.

How Are Wisdom Teeth Extracted?

The extraction method for wisdom teeth depends on the tooth's position.

A fully erupted wisdom tooth in the mouth is extracted just like any other tooth.

In some cases, wisdom teeth are partially erupted, referred to as mucosa-retained, or fully impacted, meaning they are bone-retained. In such situations, we perform the extraction with a small surgical procedure.

What Happens If Wisdom Teeth Are Not Removed?

In some cases, wisdom teeth may align properly with the other teeth in the mouth and contribute to chewing function. They may even fill the space left by previously extracted teeth.

In such cases, wisdom teeth extraction is not necessary. In fact, wisdom teeth can be beneficial.

However, if a wisdom tooth does not have enough space to fully erupt, it can exert pressure on the adjacent tooth and, in some cases, create an unreachable area between the teeth, leading to decay and gum problems.

As a result, patients may experience sensitivity, pain, swelling, and other issues in the affected area. Antibiotics may temporarily alleviate the pain associated with an infection, but they do not provide a permanent solution. Using antibiotics alone will only lead to the recurrence of symptoms with increased intensity.

Does Wisdom Tooth Pain Occur?

Wisdom tooth pain can be observed in several situations. If there is not enough space in the jawbone for the tooth to erupt properly, it can cause pain by putting pressure on the adjacent tooth. Additionally, the difficulty of cleaning this area can lead to decay or gum infections, resulting in pain.

Some wisdom teeth become impacted and may lead to the formation of a cyst. In such cases, pain is also likely to occur.

Can Wisdom Teeth Be Extracted Without Surgery?

Whether wisdom tooth extraction requires surgery depends on whether the tooth has fully erupted into the mouth. If the wisdom tooth has fully emerged, surgery is often not necessary. You can easily have the tooth extracted without surgery.

However, if the wisdom tooth is partially or fully impacted, surgery may be required for extraction.

Written by Tuğçe Arslan Founder – Dentist · Beyaz Oral and Dental Health Clinic

She sees patients at our clinic in Kuşadası and writes and regularly reviews the medical content on this site. The information here is for general guidance only and does not replace an examination.