Q Why do I need to be admitted to a Hospital when a friend had their wisdom teeth removed in the Dental surgery?
A. Most
wisdom teeth can be extracted by your own dentist under local anaesthetic.
However, quite often the wisdom teeth that are referred to the specialist in
hospital are complicated. They may be stuck deep in the bone or have root
formation, which necessitates either cutting the tooth into fragments or
removing overlying bone. The procedure would be difficult to achieve under local
anaesthesia.
Q I have heard that you need to break the jaw to take wisdom teeth out
A
No. Breaking of the jaw for wisdom teeth is never intentional and fortunately
rare. However, the common method of extracting lower wisdom teeth is to separate
and sometimes remove the thin bone on the inner aspect of the wisdom tooth
adjacent to the tongue. This is known as the lingual split technique.
Q Will the shape of my face change after removal of wisdom teeth?
A. No , difficult wisdom teeth are quite often within the bone. After they have been
removed and the swelling has disappeared there should be no detectable change in
the surface appearance of the face
Q. What can
I do to reduce the swelling of the face ?
A.
At operation you are given Dexamethasone, which is a steroid, to reduce much of
the swelling. Additionally, the application of cold compresses after the
operation may help. However, remember that some swelling is desirable, as it
shows that the body is bringing into the site of surgery substances to heal and
fight infection.
Q. Should women taking the contraceptive pill stop taking it prior to the extractions?
A.
No. There is no need to stop the Pill before this type of surgery. However, you
should be aware that many antibiotics could reduce the absorption of the Pill.
Therefore, while you are taking antibiotics and for a week afterwards, you
should not rely on the Pill as a contraceptive device. If you smoke or are
overweight and on the Pill, you should do regular leg exercises to reduce
chances of deep vein thrombosis.
Q . I have a number of crowns and veneers on my teeth, are they likely to be damaged?
A.
Please inform the anaesthetist if you have crowns or veneers. In exceptional
circumstances a gum shield is provided to protect them during the operation .
Q. When is the best time to remove troublesome wisdom teeth?
A.
Removal is easier in younger patients. Roots are not yet fully developed and the
bone is less dense. However removal of wisdom teeth which are not giving trouble
is not recommended
Q. What is the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
A .This
specialty deals with the problems of the jaws, the mouth and the face.
Consultants have both Medical and Dental qualifications with higher specialist
qualifications in both. The range of work that we carry out is facial injuries
from accidents or assaults, tumours of the mouth and the jaws and deformities of
the face and the jaws. We also deal with facial pain and diseases of the lining
of the mouth. However, the most routine surgical problem of the mouth is impacted
wisdom teeth.
