
Most people have four wisdom teeth located at the back corners of the mouth that erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Nowadays, these teeth don’t serve any real purpose and are likely to cause pain, infection, or other dental problems if they don’t have enough room to grow. To prevent potential future problems, we may recommend wisdom tooth extractions in our Temple, TX dental office. If you have concerns about you or your child’s wisdom teeth, get in touch with us today.
Wisdom tooth removal is often thought of as a rite of passage, but in reality, it’s not always strictly required. If the teeth in question can fully erupt and are positioned correctly, then they can stay as long as you keep them clean and healthy. An extraction will be required if the wisdom teeth are completely or partially trapped underneath the gums, or if they start to crowd the nearby teeth, causing pain and damage.
Some bleeding may occur after the surgery. To stop it, bite down on a gauze pad for thirty minutes at a time. Get in touch with us if the bleeding does not seem to subside. While you’re recovering, you can apply a cold compress to the side of your face to reduce any swelling and take pain medication if you need to. (Discomfort should usually go away after a couple of days.) You can eat a wide variety of soft foods as long as you stay away from the surgical site while chewing.