Wisdom Teeth, Surgical Extractions and Site Preservation

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What experts say about wisdom teeth surgical extraction and site preservation?

Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth — the four permanent adult teeth at the back corners of the mouth on the top and bottom.

If a wisdom tooth does not have room to grow it may lead to pain, infection, or other dental problems. Wisdom tooth extraction may be done by a dentist or an oral surgeon. To prevent future problems, some dentists and oral surgeons recommend wisdom tooth extraction even if impacted teeth aren't currently causing problems.

During wisdom teeth surgical extraction, it is important to consider what will be done with the space after the tooth is removed. Wisdom teeth are at the back of the mouth, so that site will heal on its own with no complications. If it is necessary to remove another tooth, effective treatment plans should be made. If a tooth is removed and nothing is done with the extraction site, the jawbone will degenerate and change shape during healing and can cause your teeth to shift. This can create problems in your bite and affect your ability to speak and chew.

If you want to fill the space with a dental implant, a sturdy jawbone is necessary to install the implant. If you opt for a dental bridge, the bridge must be molded and placed before the teeth begin to shift.

What is the effect of site preservation after extraction?

Once a permanent tooth is lost, it is gone forever. For this reason, dentists do whatever they can to treat a patient’s oral health condition without extracting the teeth. However, tooth extraction is not always avoidable. Cases such as those involving wisdom teeth and abscessed teeth often require tooth or teeth extraction.

Earlier, tooth extraction was an unpleasant and excruciating experience. In modern dentistry, with great technological advancements and better dental practices, tooth extraction is now a safe, routine procedure that involves little pain during recovery.

The extraction of a tooth requires a recovery time whereby much care is needed. After a tooth has been extracted, a hole, known as a socket, will be present. With no tooth covering the socket, nerve endings and part of the jawbone becomes exposed.

Tooth extraction often leads to blood clots over the vacant socket. The blood clot initiates the healing process of the gum, bone, and other tissue of the affected area. The clot also provides a protective barrier of the now exposed nerve endings and jawbone during the healing and recovery process.

Why is socket prevention important?

Each tooth is securely attached to the jawbone through bones, nerves, soft tissue, and ligaments. When a tooth is extracted, severe oral health conditions can occur if the socket isn’t preserved. Dental implants are the most common ways to preserve vacant sockets. Without implants, the nerves, tissue, and bone of the socket get compromised. Furthermore, the compromised bone of the socket can weaken additional bone tissue of the jaw.

The socket marks where a tooth was and each tooth in the mouth has its own space. When a tooth is extracted and its corresponding socket is not preserved, the surrounding teeth can gradually move into that empty spot, causing crooked teeth and a misaligned bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for the extraction site to heal?
Simple extraction of a small tooth with a single root usually takes about a week to close and heal. A hole from a simple extraction of a large tooth with several roots’ closes after three weeks, but complete healing and elimination of the hole may take several months.
How do you preserve a bone after tooth extraction?
Soft tissue recovers faster than bone tissue, therefore, a patient should wait for some time after their tooth extraction to have a dental implant replacement tooth inserted. One way to speed up this socket preservation process is the use of bone grafts to stimulate bone growth.
How long does socket preservation take to heal?

A socket preservation graft should take three to four months of healing time. This means that the site will then be ready to receive a dental implant.

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