The difference between a general dentist and an oral surgeon is that the oral surgeon is trained to remove wisdom teeth using intravenous sedation. Wisdom tooth extraction can be done by a dentist or specialist surgeon working in a hospital. Wisdom teeth, those distant molars, are a little different. They can be removed using traditional extraction if teeth are completely erupted and many dentists, including those at Southview Dentistry, can remove wisdom teeth in the office.
However, wisdom teeth are often impacted, meaning that they only partially erupt or are still completely below the gumline when they hit the adjacent tooth, creating a dental jam. Impacted wisdom teeth should be surgically removed. Always visit your dentist first for an evaluation, but be prepared to get a referral to an oral surgeon if a wisdom tooth is impacted. Your dentist says it's time to remove your wisdom teeth.
You may be referred to an oral surgeon, who will perform the procedure in your office. It will only take a few days for you to heal and return to normal. Most general dentists are qualified to extract teeth, and many perform simple extractions. However, when it comes to removing wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, most dentists refer their patients to an oral surgeon.
The dentist will use local anesthesia (numbness) around the area and then use special tools to remove the teeth. General dentists manage the overall oral health of their patients and perform simple procedures, such as fillings, crowns and root canals. All general dentists receive training in this field, but some may choose not to offer it in their office. It's important to see a dentist regularly so they can take x-rays of your mouth and identify when and where your wisdom teeth are located.
Those inside the gums can also be removed with an in-office dental procedure, as long as there are no serious complicating factors. Often, your family dentist can remove wisdom teeth, but in certain cases, they may need to be removed by an oral surgeon. If it is still in the mouth, but not outside the gum, there are surgical procedures that can be performed to remove them. The number of wisdom teeth you have is completely unique to your own body and the location of the tooth in question.
The dentist will numb the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic and then use special tools to remove it. If you have wisdom teeth and want to have them checked or removed, schedule an appointment with Young Family Dental today. You should consult with a dentist about the best way to remove the retained wisdom tooth and whether it is best to have it removed or not. As long as you have a healthy set of molars, there is no benefit to preserving wisdom teeth, so many people choose to have them removed.
If your dentist recommends removing your wisdom teeth, an x-ray of your mouth will be done to help you determine who should perform the procedure. When the tooth has already gone through the gums and entered the mouth, you can usually go to the family dentist.
