What to do about impacted wisdom teeth

Some people do not experience any problems with their wisdom teeth, which are better known as the third molars. These teeth are the ones that erupt through the gumline at the very back corners of the mouth, and typically come through during a patient’s late teen years or young adult years. However, many experience issues with these teeth. This includes pain and discomfort if they become impacted, or stuck, underneath the gumline. In a situation such as this, the best plan of action is to extract the wisdom teeth from the jaw of the bone to eliminate the problem. Dr. Leslie Sultan of Fort Lauderdale, FL is a professional in the area that provides comprehensive full scope oral and maxillofacial surgery for patients in the community who may be experiencing problems such as impacted wisdom teeth. 

Why are wisdom teeth commonly removed? 

Permanent teeth such as the third molars used to be important hundreds of years ago, but are now not nearly as necessary as other teeth in the smile. Due to their location, they may become impacted in the jaw or, if they come through the gumline, are difficult to keep clean. This causes them to contribute to problems such as periodontal disease or tooth decay. Instead, many patients opt to remove them permanent with simple or surgical extraction. Wisdom tooth removal when teeth are impacted requires surgical extraction. 

What happens during surgical extraction of wisdom teeth? 

Surgical extraction requires Dr. Leslie Sultan to cut into the gumline to access the tooth within the jaw and remove it. This surgery is often well-planned prior to the procedure by taking x-rays and determining the area to make the incision. Stitches are used, and patients are often recommended a soft food diet as the gums heal. All of the procedure is done with proper sedation and anesthetics for patient comfort. 

Are you concerned that you might need wisdom tooth removal? 

Extraction of impacted wisdom teeth is a routine procedure performed by Dr. Leslie Sultan and his team at the Sultan Center for Oral Facial Surgery, among other treatments for the mouth. If you are interested in working with a dentist with experience removing impacted teeth, make a consultation appointment and initial evaluation with Dr. Leslie Sultan by calling (954) 771-8772 and visiting the Fort Lauderdale, FL office at 4800 North Federal Highway, Suite #201.