Our office will be closed from December 24th until Wednesday, January 6th. Happy Holidays!
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Our office will be closed from December 24th until Wednesday, January 6th. Happy Holidays!
If you’ve got an unhealthy wisdom tooth, Lenoir City dentist Dr. Blalock may recommend that you have it removed. At our office, we’re always here to help you get out of pain and prevent further complications. Give us a call at 865-635-4999 or contact us online to schedule a consultation for wisdom tooth removal in Lenoir City today.
The answer is that they don’t! At least, not always. The wisdom teeth are the final set of four molars. They usually emerge a lot later than the other teeth, between the ages of 17-25. In comparison, your second set of molars is usually in place by the age of 12-13.
If your wisdom teeth are healthy and you have enough room for them in your mouth, there’s usually no reason to extract them. But because they come out so much later, the wisdom teeth often do not have enough room to erupt properly. This can cause issues like wisdom tooth impaction (wisdom teeth not fully erupting), a higher risk of tooth infections, and more.
In this case, Dr. Blalock may recommend that you have them extracted. A few common signs of unhealthy wisdom teeth include jaw pain and stiffness, swelling of the gums near the rear teeth, and bad breath.
To begin the process, Dr. Blalock will clean and numb your mouth. We also offer dental sedation at Lakeside Dental, which helps you rest, relax, and feel more comfortable during your appointment. Once your mouth is numb, Dr. Blalock will use special tools to wiggle your wisdom tooth loose. This may take a few minutes.
Once your tooth is loose, Dr. Blalock will grasp it with a pair of extraction forceps, then pull it out of the socket. Next, he will clean and sanitize the area, and suture the socket to ensure that it heals properly. Then, this process will be repeated to remove any other unhealthy wisdom teeth.
No. Your mouth will be completely numb when your tooth is extracted, so you won’t feel any pain at all. We also offer sedation dentistry in Lenoir City. With laughing gas (nitrous oxide) sedation, you can feel completely relaxed and comfortable throughout your appointment.
It takes about two weeks for your mouth to fully heal from your wisdom tooth extraction. However, patients can get back to work, school, and their daily routines within just a day or two.
There are some special instructions you’ll have to follow to make sure you heal properly, though. These include eating mostly soft foods, avoiding smoking and using straws for a few days, and taking special steps to clean your mouth.
Dr. Blalock will provide you with a full set of instructions to follow as you heal. Following these instructions will help you heal more quickly, minimize pain, and avoid common complications like “dry socket” after tooth extraction.
If you have a damaged or missing tooth, restorative care helps you avoid further complications like tooth infections or teeth shifting after tooth loss.
As experts in cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Blalock and the team at Lakeside Dental will focus on function and aesthetics during your restorative care.
A damaged or decayed tooth can cause serious discomfort, but we can treat the root cause of your problem and provide you with relief.
