Wisdom Tooth Extractions in Missouri City, Tx

Most of us have heard about wisdom tooth extractions and how traumatic they can be. No matter what you’ve seen or heard on television or social media, wisdom tooth extractions are almost always a necessary part of proper oral healthcare. The truth is, a large majority of patients have to have their wisdom teeth extracted for the health of their entire mouth. While a wisdom tooth extraction is a complex procedure, it doesn’t have to be all that scary with modern technology and anesthesia.

Why Are Wisdom Tooth Extractions So Common?

There are a couple of different reasons why patients often have to remove their wisdom teeth, both for the betterment of their oral health.

Many people don’t have room for extra teeth in their mouths. Wisdom teeth are a leftover from our ancient ancestors who had larger heads to accommodate more teeth in their mouths. Because of this, many people get their wisdom teeth in, and it begins to shift their other teeth out of place or create alignment problems. It’s also good to note that not everyone has wisdom teeth; some people never have them.

Another reason wisdom teeth extractions are so common is that wisdom teeth tend to come in incorrectly. They can sometimes come in sideways, requiring extraction, lay dormant within the gum and eventually cause problems, and even erupt only part way, leaving a portion of the tooth buried or impacted in the gum line. When a wisdom tooth becomes impacted, it has to be removed because it has the potential to get infected or to get a cavity, and this can spread the damage to other nearby teeth, creating a problem for your entire mouth.

How Long Do Extractions Take?

Each extraction typically takes a couple of hours, depending on the specific circumstances. Dentists will typically only extract one pair of wisdom teeth at a time to give each side a chance to heal before removing the remaining set of wisdom teeth.