Surgical Impacted Wisdom Tooth Extraction
The milk teeth in the jaws fall out and permanent teeth erupt in a certain order. Teeth that are due to erupt but cannot erupt from the jawbone for any reason and cannot take their place in the mouth are called “impacted teeth”. While some impacted teeth cause problems for patients, others do not cause any discomfort and are recognized during routine radiographic controls.
Which Teeth Remain Impacted in the Jaws?
The most impacted teeth in the jaws are wisdom teeth. These are followed by canines, premolars, premolars and other teeth. The reasons for impacted wisdom teeth are usually because the individual inherited a small jaw and large teeth. Evolutionarily, wisdom teeth remain impacted as humans gradually move away from hard foods and no longer need 32 teeth to chew. In addition, trauma to the jaws during tooth eruption or tumors or cysts that develop around the tooth can also cause impacted teeth.
Should Every Impacted Wisdom Tooth Be Removed?
The decision to extract impacted wisdom teeth depends on the distress the tooth causes the patient. A tooth that is completely in the bone causes less distress than a slightly erupted tooth. If the wisdom tooth has not fully erupted and causes pain and swelling to the patient and requires the use of painkillers, an extraction decision is taken.
Is Extraction of Impacted Wisdom Teeth Difficult?
Extraction of impacted wisdom teeth is usually performed in a simple operation under local anesthesia. The patient is prescribed antibiotics and painkillers. It is normal to have mild pain and swelling in the jaw after the operation and the swelling disappears within a week until the stitches are removed. There is a belief in the society that wisdom tooth extraction is difficult, but the duration of the procedure and the problems that will be experienced afterwards vary depending on the experience of the physician performing the procedure. In individuals who will undergo orthodontic treatment, the extraction of wisdom teeth is usually a routine procedure, even if they do not cause discomfort. On the other hand, patients who have impacted teeth but do not feel any discomfort should be followed up with routine radiographs, and it should be well controlled whether the impacted teeth damage the surrounding teeth and whether any pathological formation develops around them.
Wisdom teeth that are close to some risky anatomical points can be evaluated with volumetric tomographs as well as standard panoramic radiographs before their extraction.
