Wisdom Teeth Removal and Possible Postoperative Complications

Wisdom teeth removal! Those words make some of us shudder. As well they should. Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that usually erupt between 16 and 25 years of age. They are the last teeth in the mouth. Some people never have problems with their wisdom teeth. But for others, their wisdom teeth become impacted which means they fail to fully erupt. This failure can be due to there not being enough room in the mouth or because the wisdom teeth are not angled correctly as they are trying to grow in. In some cases wisdom teeth may even protrude into the jawbone.

But how is it determined whether wisdom teeth need to be removed? A dentist can takes x-rays of the wisdom teeth to determine if they are coming in properly. If they are not, removal may be advised before problems develop with the teeth. If you must undergo wisdom teeth removal, the teeth and surrounding tissue will be numbed. A sedative may be used for anxiety if determined appropriate by the dentist.

There can be unpleasant postoperative complications such as:

Anesthesia Reaction: There's always risks from anesthesia including stroke, cardiac arrest, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), and bronchoconstriction (airway blockage), just to name a few.

Dry Socket: Dry socket is a painful condition where the blood clot does not form properly in the socket where the tooth was removed. Dry socket can heal on its own or the dentist may need to put medication in the socket. Speaking from personal experience, I developed dry socket in 2 out of 4 pockets after wisdom teeth removal. The dentist jammed an approximately 1 foot long piece of thin cotton soaked in medication into each of the affected sockets. I screamed from the pain. Removal of the cotton pieces a few days later was not much better.

Nerve Damage: During the wisdom teeth removal process, nerves in the mouth can be damaged. The resulting numbness is called paresthesia and can involve the tongue, lip, or chin. This nerve damage can be temporary and unfortunately sometimes permanent.

It might be wise to get a second opinion before undergoing removal of one or more wisdom teeth. The risks are definitely something to consider.

Source:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/wisdom-teeth?page=2