Removal , Risks , Effects
Reasons for wisdom teeth to be removed:
1 Constant pain
2 Recurrent infection (pericoronitis)
3 Tooth decay
4 Abscess
5 Associated cysts
6 Tumours
7 Diseases of tissues around the tooth, including decay in adjacent teeth or periodontal problems
8 They may be in the way of planned future surgery
Risks encountered when removing wisdom teeth:
Firstly there are the risks of any dental extraction;
- bleeding, swelling, infection,
Particularly with the lower wisdom teeth there is the risk of nerve damage and it is generally accepted that in 10-12% of people there will be altered sensation or numbness for a number of days. In approximately 1% of people there may be numbness for some weeks or, very rarely, this is permanent.
There are also risks to damaging other teeth.
Expected effects of removal of wisdom teeth:
1 .Swelling is very common and can become worse for the first 48 hours.
2. Lower wisdom teeth often cause pain in the post-operative period but this should be straightforward to control.
3. One often develops a rather stiff jaw as a result of the swelling and inflammation from removing the teeth. This makes it somewhat difficult and uncomfortable to eat and chew.
Just because a wisdom tooth is impacted (the tooth is prevented from erupting in a normal position -and sometimes when this is the case the wisdom tooth will not erupt) there is no reason to remove an asymptomatic impacted wisdom tooth.
