Overview
Emergency wisdom tooth removal refers to the surgical procedure performed to remove one or more wisdom teeth that are impacting or causing significant dental symptoms. This procedure is often recommended when a wisdom tooth is causing severe pain, infection, or other dental issues, and traditional remedies such as root canals or conservative therapy are insufficient to resolve the issue.
Why it's Done
Wisdom teeth typically appear in the late teenage years and early twenties, and they can become impacted if they don't have enough room to grow normally in the mouth. Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to a range of problems, including pain, tooth decay, formation of cysts, and damage to neighboring teeth or the jawbone. Therefore, many dentists recommend extracting impacted wisdom teeth to prevent future dental problems.
Problems with Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause several serious dental issues, including:
- Pain: Frequent or intense pain in the back of the mouth, often described as a wisdom toothache.
- Swelling: Swelling and tenderness near the affected tooth or jaw area.
- Infection: Bad breath, discharge, redness, and swelling around the wisdom tooth.
- Difficulty opening the mouth: Swelling or inflammation in the jaw can make it difficult to open the mouth widely.
- Cyst or sac-like puffiness: A lump or swelling on the outside of the jaw, often related to the development of a cyst within the jawbone.
- Sinus pressure: Headaches, congestion, and sinus pain may occur as the wisdom tooth grows and roots develop.
Preventing Future Dental Problems
Dental experts generally recommend extracting wisdom teeth that are not causing any symptoms, known as asymptomatic wisdom teeth. This is because the risk of complications associated with wisdom teeth extraction is low, and the procedure is generally well-tolerated by patients in this age group. By removing wisdom teeth early, you can prevent future dental issues that may be difficult or impossible to treat later in life.
Risks
Emergency wisdom tooth removal is generally a safe and effective procedure, but as with any surgical procedure, it carries some risks, including:
- Painful dry socket, also known as exposure of bone when the blood clot after surgery is lost from the site of the surgical wound.
- Infection in the extraction socket from bacteria or trapped food particles.
- Damage to nearby teeth, nerves, jawbone or sinuses.
- Nerve and blood vessel damage.
How You Prepare
你的牙医可能会在诊所里进行手术。但如果你的牙齿非常复杂或者手术困难，你的牙医可能会建议你去看口腔外科医生。此外，除了局部麻醉外，你的牙医可能会建议你在手术前服用一些药物来帮助你放松或减轻焦虑。或者他们会给你们静脉注射镇静药。这些药物会让你们在睡眠中度过整个手术过程。
What You Can Expect
在手术过程中，牙医会给予局部麻醉剂，在你受影响的牙齿周围注射局部麻醉，让你保持清醒。当你注射完麻药后，你会感觉到一点压力和移动，但你应该不会感到任何疼痛。
牙医可能会根据需要将你的牙齿分成几块来取出。当所有切割完成之后，他们会清洁并消毒手术区域以防止感染。手术后，牙医会给你一些敷料覆盖在手术区，以便控制出血和控制血凝块的形成。
