Wisdom teeth that are healthy and correctly aligned are a valuable asset to your mouth, but a high percentage of the time these teeth are positioned awkwardly, angled either inwards or outwards. Poor positioning of the teeth can cause your mouth to become overcrowded and damage other teeth or nerves. These molars are often partially/completely impacted in the soft gum tissue or jawbone.
When this happens, bacteria are able to enter the tooth socket and often cause infection. If you develop pain, swelling, stiffness in the jaw, tooth decay or gum disease as a result of your wisdom teeth, a visit to the best dentist in Surrey BC will provide the information you need to take a decision about wisdom tooth removal.

It isn’t always necessary to remove wisdom teeth, but many dentists recommend it for teeth that don’t emerge properly. At our dental clinic Surrey we believe it’s better to remove these teeth before 25 years of age, because the roots and bone are not yet fully formed and recovery is usually faster. For this reason, many of our patients have their wisdom teeth extracted even before they cause problems. If you experience any changes in the area surrounding wisdom teeth that result in pain, infection, tumours, tooth decay or other damage, we will most definitely recommend removal of the teeth. If, however, your wisdom teeth are perfectly formed and erupted with only slight misalignment, our Invisalign® Surrey practitioners might recommend waiting to see if they can be retained.

This is a surgical procedure typically performed under a minimal oral sedation, particularly if you are having all four wisdom teeth removed or you have complex circumstances that require incision. Most times, the anesthetic is not deep enough to need breathing assistance, and the surgeon also uses local anesthetic to numb the gums surrounding the surgical sites. For patients who are only having one or two wisdom teeth extracted, our dental clinic in Surrey might elect to keep you awake and use only local numbing agents.

During the process, the oral surgeon makes an incision in the gum that exposes tooth and bone, and removes any bone blocking access to the tooth root. He may break up the tooth into sections to make it easier to remove, and then clean the socket of the extracted tooth of all remaining bone or tooth material. If necessary, the wound is stitched, and gauze is placed over the site to promote clotting.

Maintaining your daily oral hygiene regimen is imperative for anyone who has tooth extractions by the best dentist in Surrey BC. You may brush your teeth on the night of your surgery, but we encourage you to rinse gently. You’ll be advised to keep your mouth clean and avoid vigorous rinsing until the day after surgery, when you can begin rinsing 3 to 4 times a day with a warm salt water solution. It’s especially important to do this after eating, to remove any stray food particles left behind that could enter the cavities and develop a bacterial infection.

Deciding to remove your wisdom teeth is a very personal decision, but it should at all times be driven by recommendations from the experts. While our Invisalign® Surrey practitioners strive at all times to help you avoid tooth extractions, there are occasions when the best dentist in Surrey BC concludes the only way forward is to remove your wisdom teeth. In instances like this, the final decision is the patient’s but our dental clinic in Surrey is geared towards focusing on our patients’ best interests.

For more information about wisdom teeth removal or to schedule an appointment with our team of dedicated professional dentists, please contact us.