What is a wisdom tooth?
Wisdom teeth are the last of your teeth to appear (erupt) in the mouth. Sometimes a wisdom tooth becomes stuck below the surface of your gums (impacted) and grows at an odd angle, possibly causing complications.
What happens if you don’t take out your wisdom teeth?
If you don’t have your wisdom teeth removed, a partially erupted wisdom tooth can lead to bacterial infection called pericoronitis. Meanwhile, a wisdom tooth that doesn’t erupt can lead to the development of a cyst which can damage bone and gum tissue. Wisdom teeth are also often removed because they come in crooked.
What is the procedure for wisdom tooth removal?
During a wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist:
- Makes an incision in the gum tissue to expose the tooth and bone.
- Removes bone that blocks access to the tooth root.
- Divides the tooth into sections if it’s easier to remove in pieces.
- Removes the tooth.
- Cleans the site of the removed tooth of any debris from the tooth or bone.
- Stitches the wound closed to promote healing, though this isn’t always necessary.
- Places gauze over the extraction site to control bleeding and to help a blood clot form.
What is the cost of the treatment?
One of the major surgical procedure requires extra skills and ranges from 1.5k to 8k per tooth.