Expert oral surgeons perform procedures such as wisdom tooth extraction on a regular basis. At our San Francisco, CA practice, these procedures are a “rite of passage” for young adults as they reach the age that third molars begin to emerge (typically, 17 to 25). We often see multiple generations of San Francisco, CA patients for the procedure as they reach this stage.
The extraction procedure has a very predictable outcome and recovery, and our practice takes measures to ensure that the experience is as comfortable as possible.
Factors That Affect a Wisdom Tooth Extraction
The ease with which your oral surgeon can perform wisdom tooth extraction depends on several things:
- The position of the teeth. They may grow at an angle away from, towards, or horizontal to your existing teeth. Each angle requires a different approach.
- The stage of development. For example, one of your teeth may not yet have emerged from the gums or jawbone. In this case, your surgeon may need to take extra steps to perform a wisdom tooth extraction.
- The number of teeth involved. Some patients have fewer than the normal amount of wisdom teeth, while others have some healthy teeth and others that need to be removed. More teeth require more time in surgery.
SF Oral Surgery begins the extraction experience by consulting with you about your procedure. You’ll have a chance to ask questions and to learn about the surgery so that you understand what to expect.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction – The Basics
The doctors of SF Oral Surgery use local anesthesia to ensure that you don’t feel pain during the procedure. Our oral surgeons also offer additional sedation options so that you can be completely unaware during the procedure. After administering the anesthetic:
- Your oral surgeon will open the gum tissue and remove any bone that is covering the tooth.
- In some cases, the surgeon will remove the whole tooth. In other cases, he may opt to cut the tooth into smaller pieces. This approach often helps to preserve bone mass and speed healing.
- The surgeon will use stitches to close the surgical site.
Wisdom tooth extraction usually doesn’t require a long healing period. Our surgeons typically advise patients to fill out pain medication prescriptions in advance so that they can maintain their comfort level while their mouth is still numb. They also instruct patients on how to care for the surgical site and when they can return to a normal diet.
Now that you know how the procedure works, we encourage you to begin the process now—before your third molars become a problem. Schedule an appointment at our San Francisco, CA office and to find out more about wisdom tooth extraction.
Call us today at (415) 776-6710 to plan your initial consultation.
