Taking the Pain out of Wisdom Tooth Removal

For most people, sometime between the ages of 16-25 their third molars (wisdom teeth) erupt through the gums at the back corners of the mouth. The jaw simply does not have enough room to accommodate these teeth and they often will impact or crowd the surrounding teeth. When this occurs, it can result in pain, infection, and movement or disruption of the natural alignment of teeth. Even more problematic, cysts and tumors can form around impacted wisdom teeth resulting in teeth and jawbone deterioration. Most dental professionals advocate for the extraction of wisdom teeth even in patients who are not experiencing any negative symptoms because the procedure makes patients less vulnerable to gum disease, and because it is difficult to predict future problems if the teeth become impacted later. Dr. Mario Cabianca performs nearly painless wisdom tooth removal at his Trail office, and has extensive experience with all types of impactions. If you are concerned about your third molars erupting, contact our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cabianca.

Wisdom Tooth Removal Procedure

Dr. Cabianca takes panoramic pictures and uses 3D imaging to visualize the positioning of the roots in relation to the alveolar nerves. This way he can make an appropriate plan for the extraction to be as painless as possible. Dr. Cabianca will provide his patients with explicit pre- and post-operative instructions to ensure that there is no confusion and that everyone feels comfortable before beginning the procedure. We use IV sedation in our office for wisdom tooth removal, so patients will need to arrange to have an adult to drive them home after the procedure.

Following the extraction, patients will be on a soft diet (scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, etc.) for a few days until they feel comfortable moving on to other foods. Patients are also advised to avoid strenuous activity for the first few days, but typically patients can get back to their normal daily routines after 24 hours. Dr. Cabianca will prescribe anti-inflammatory or corticosteroid drugs to help minimize pain, swelling, and inflammation.

Types of Impactions

Some forms of impactions can be more difficult to extract than others, but Dr. Cabianca has experience removing all types:

• Partial Eruption – This occurs when the wisdom tooth runs into the adjacent tooth before completely erupting. This typically leads to infection of the gum tissue surrounding the teeth.
• Mesioangular Impaction – This type of impaction occurs when the incoming wisdom tooth grows diagonally toward the other teeth and can cause crowding.
• Distoangular Impaction – The wisdom tooth comes in diagonally at an angle away from the other teeth, and results in pain or discomfort at the site.
• Vertical Impaction – This occurs when the wisdom tooth grows too close to the second molar and gets stuck before erupting into the mouth. This can cause pain and alignment issues with the other teeth.
• Horizontal Impaction – This occurs when the incoming wisdom tooth grows in sideways, running into the next tooth. This often results in severe pain and crowding of the teeth.
• Soft Tissue Impaction – This type of impaction occurs when the wisdom tooth has risen from the jaw, but not passed through gum tissue and is not visible in the mouth.

Schedule a Wisdom Tooth Removal Consultation

If you have concerns about impaction or are feeling any pain or discomfort that you feel may be related to your wisdom teeth, contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cabianca.