Wisdom Teeth Extraction and Smoking After

Wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. That is not always the case though. Sometimes they partially break the surface of the soft tissue and sometimes they remain impacted below the surface. In many Americans today the jaw does not even have enough space for these third set of molars resulting in having the wisdom teeth extracted in maple grove mn. Let’s review the complications if you leave the wisdom teeth and do not extract them, the procedure itself and why you must pay attention to the aftercare instructions which includes no smoking.

The History of the Wisdom Tooth

10,000 years ago, the human jaw had plenty of room for 32 teeth which included this third set of molars. Through the centuries our diets have become softer no longer needing these molars and the brain has evolved as well needing more room for growth. Today you can find around 35% of adults that don’t even have wisdom teeth. They never came to fruition leaving them with 28 teeth.

Wisdom Teeth Complications and Symptoms

In the balance of adults that develop wisdom teeth, both young and old, wisdom teeth primarily cause trouble. There is not enough room in the arch and jaws of today to accommodate them. If impacted, not breaking through the soft tissue, they can crowd and push adjacent teeth resulting in severe alignment issues. If partially erupting they can cause swelling in the surrounding tissue resulting in decay and infections. There are over 10 million wisdom teeth extracted every year for these reasons.

The Procedure for Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Every wisdom teeth extraction will begin with an x-ray. These will confirm the position of the wisdom tooth, impacted or erupted, and the interaction with the adjacent teeth. If erupted a local anesthetic will numb the immediate area and the dentist will use the proper tools to simply extract the tooth. The result will be a hole, or extraction site, that will need to develop a blood clot to heal properly. If impacted, you may have an additional sedative to get you through the minor oral surgery of the incision and the extraction of the impacted tooth. Most likely sutures will be necessary to close up the small incision.

The Proper Aftercare

The instructions given to you are quite important to heal properly in a timely fashion. Whether it is the blood clot or stitches there are some simple activities you need to reconsider for 24 to 48 hours. You should avoid strenuous activities, do not spit, do not drink from a straw and do not smoke. All of these simple motions can dislodge the stitches or that all important blood clot. Usually in the third day it will be ok to smoke again and by the fourth day you will be on the way to a full recovery.

If you don’t pay attention to the blood clot or the stitches, you can develop some unfortunate complications that could have been avoided. Other than an infection or swelling you could easily develop a dry socket by losing the blood clot resulting in a very painful experience.

More information on Wisdom Teeth & Extraction : Possible Complications with Wisdom Teeth Extraction