Your mouth undergoes some major changes throughout your lifetime. After shedding your primary teeth and receiving your permanent ones, the appearance of third molars or wisdom teeth is another dental milestone. Eruption of wisdom teeth usually occurs between the ages of 17 and 21. Traditionally, these third molars are referred to as wisdom teeth because they appear at a rather mature age.

Fundamentally, our mouth can usually only hold 28 teeth. With the addition of wisdom teeth, this increases the count to 32 teeth. These teeth often do not come in properly and are crooked or impacted. If you notice that your wisdom teeth are emerging, we recommend you immediately visit us at Pendleton Family Dentistry. Our experts will decide if you need wisdom teeth extractions.

Do I need to get my wisdom teeth extracted?

Wisdom tooth extraction is not necessary for everyone, however, some may experience problems when their wisdom teeth emerge. This usually occurs when there is insufficient space in the jaw, resulting in crowding, improper bite, and other problems.

Another way wisdom teeth can cause problems is impaction. This means that they are stuck in the gums or they are not growing in the right position. This can be extremely painful, as well as harmful for the rest of your teeth and your oral health. Common symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth are immense pain, inflammation of gums, and dental infections. If you experience any of these symptoms, you will likely need them to be extracted in order to avoid serious dental health issues in the future. Wisdom tooth extraction does not have any negative impact on your ability to bite properly, speak, or eat.

What should I expect when having these teeth extracted?

Before your wisdom tooth extraction, our dentist will perform a thorough examination of your teeth. We fully utilize the available advanced technology to locate the position of your wisdom teeth, the current problems they have been causing, and the possibility of future complications.

Wisdom teeth removal is a routine dental procedure that can usually be performed by our dentist at Pendleton Family Dentistry. Local anesthesia will be necessary for the procedure.  Additionally, we offer nitrous oxide gas, also known as laughing gas, or oral sedation. Our team will educate you about all the necessary post-operative care and, if required, medications will be prescribed to alleviate the swelling and discomfort.