Wisdom Teeth FAQs

No, but most people do. From time to time, Dr. Newby will see a patient whose wisdom teeth appear to have fit nicely in the mouth and thus don’t need removal, but they are still prone to disease and must be monitored for life.

Some people do not have wisdom teeth at all, while others have more than four that need to be extracted. Depending on your general dentist, and the oral surgeon sometimes we only need to remove one or two, and sometimes three or four.

Impacted wisdom teeth are those that are not able to fully erupt through the gums. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning. In fact, 9 out of 10 people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth. Some common aliments that are caused by impacted wisdom teeth include: Infection, crowding, cysts, and erosion cavity.

We have many different sedation options so during the procedure, you won’t feel a thing. However, you may have soreness for a few days following the surgery as the anesthesia wears off. Our assistants will discuss all post op care and questions, so recovery can be as comfortable as possible.

Recovery usually takes anywhere from 3-5 days. Every patient is different for the recovery period. The first day of recovery you may experience some minor bleeding and pain. The swelling usually peaks on the second and third day. Most patients feel like they are over the hump and on their way to recovery in 3-5 days. Please call the office if you are experiencing any pain in the site after that time length.

A dry socket is when the blood clot gets dislodged prematurely from the tooth socket. Symptoms of pain at the surgical site and even pain near the ear may occur 2-3 days following surgery. It is recommended to make sure to follow the post op instructions like no smoking, and no straws! If you think you are getting a dry socket, please call the office so we can check the site.

It is usually recommended to be seen by an oral surgeon to remove the wisdom teeth between the ages of 17-25. The reason for that is so before the roots have fully developed and entwined themselves in the nerves located in the jawbone.