03 Jan 2022
Many of us are blessed to have relatively mild dentist visits for a majority of our adolescence (minus maybe a few cavities). For someone who hasn’t experienced extensive dental work or oral surgery, it can create anxiety when your dentist mentions wisdom teeth removal in Vancouver.
If your dentist recommends getting your wisdom teeth removed, you should trust their medical expertise and get it done. To ease your nerves, learn about wisdom teeth and why you should remove them.
What Are Wisdom Teeth
Your wisdom teeth are teeth located in the back corners of your mouth. Many experts believe that humans have evolved to not need their wisdom teeth anymore and classify them as vestigial organs. However, most people still grow wisdom teeth for now (until evolution eventually phases them out).
They develop later in life than your other teeth. Most people don’t produce wisdom teeth until their late teens or early 20s.
When Should Wisdom Teeth Be Removed?
Wisdom teeth only need to be removed if they will cause a problem. Your dentist will be able to predict how your wisdom teeth will affect your dental health in advance. In some cases, wisdom teeth can create serious pain.
New wisdom teeth can also affect the placement of your existing teeth, causing a lack of symmetry and other aesthetic problems as well as dental problems in the future.
Most dentists automatically recommend removing impacted wisdom teeth, which means that the teeth don’t have enough room in your mouth. However, some people have a large enough mouth for their wisdom teeth to come in without a problem.
What Should I Expect?
You should move forward with your wisdom teeth removal understanding that, while it’s major surgery, it’s also extremely common. Very few people experience complications, and while it may impact your schedule for a couple of days, you will likely recover more quickly than you expected.
In most cases, patients opt to go under general anesthesia to make the experience as pain-free as possible. If you go under anesthesia, you will need someone available to drive you home after you wake up. If you go to a dental office that offers a holistic approach, you can ask about alternative sedation options, such as nitrous oxide.
You should expect to be swollen and in pain for several days after your surgery. You will want to keep the stitches clean to avoid infection and use some mild to moderate pain killers for the pain. If you don’t mind laughing at yourself a bit, have your cell phone camera ready to document the swollen cheeks for you to enjoy later.
Contact Divine Dental Clinic in Vancouver to have your questions answered in complete detail and schedule your appointment.