Once your mouth is prepared, you can expect the surgery to last about an hour if all four wisdom teeth are going to be removed. Some general dentists can remove wisdom teeth directly, but more complex or impacted teeth are best treated with a specialized oral surgeon. General anesthesia: It is generally possible to remove wisdom teeth with general “daytime” anesthesia. That is, even if you are fully asleep, you can go home the same day of surgery.
Removing wisdom teeth is a standard procedure and your dentist will work to make sure it's as comfortable as possible. The swelling usually occurs on the cheeks next to the lower wisdom teeth and peaks about 3 days after surgery before gradually decreasing over the next two weeks. Wisdom tooth extraction surgery may include just one wisdom tooth or all four, which will naturally affect the duration of the surgery. Your dentist can continue to check your wisdom teeth along with the rest of your teeth when you attend your routine checkup.
It can be difficult to clean the teeth around the extraction sites because they hurt, and if this is the case, it's best to keep the area free of food debris by rinsing them gently with mouthwash or warm salt water (dissolve a flat teaspoon of kitchen salt in a cup of warm water) starting the day after surgery. There is a higher risk of complications with an inexperienced provider (for example, a nerve injury, see below), so the safest thing is for a surgeon who performs the procedure many times a day to remove your wisdom teeth. Robertson can often give you an estimate before surgery based on how difficult your teeth are, your health and your age. When the procedure begins, the dentist will make a small incision in the gum to expose the wisdom tooth and make it more accessible.
Local anesthetic: This is an injection into the gum that surrounds the wisdom tooth, quite similar to what was done at the dentist for a filling. If your wisdom teeth are close to the nerve in your jaw, your dentist will likely recommend that you visit a specialist or an oral surgeon. If you intend to travel abroad for a long period of time and find it difficult to access a dentist or specialist, you might consider undergoing treatment for wisdom teeth and other teeth before you leave. The idea of having surgery on your wisdom teeth can be overwhelming and, along with any pain you may experience, can leave you feeling anxious and stressed.
If you're thinking about having your wisdom teeth removed, talk to your dentist about how long the procedure may last and what you can expect in terms of recovery time.
