Wisdom teeth removal is a common procedure among oral surgeons. Family practitioners at a clinic such as Lewis Family Dentistry also can remove these teeth if the extraction would be an uncomplicated one. After Wisdom Tooth Extractions, it’s common for patients to experience a certain amount of pain and discomfort at least a couple of days. Before the surgery appointment, the family dentist or the oral surgeon sends patients home with a list of precautions to prevent complications. Nevertheless, some individuals still develop complications and must effectively deal with the problem. The most often-seen issues are infections and a condition known as dry socket.
Infection
Patients who will be having any teeth removed, including Wisdom Tooth Extractions, often are directed to take a course of prescription antibiotics beforehand to prevent infection. Not all patients comply with this direction, however, and they may also quit taking the medicine too soon. The rate of infection among patients having wisdom teeth extracted is very low, at only around 10 percent. Those who take antibiotics ahead of time reduce that risk by 70 percent, according to a review of several research studies. Taking antibiotic medication after an infection develops eliminates the problem, but the patient must deal with added pain and a lengthier recovery time. During recovery, there are some eating restrictions so the wounds are not reopened and so food particles don’t become lodged there.
Dry Socket
This painful condition typically occurs when patients ignore the dentist’s advice to avoid creating suction with the mouth until the extraction wounds heal. Patients are not supposed to be sucking on straws or ice pops, for example, and they definitely should not be smoking. In addition to that suction action to draw smoke from the cigarette, the smoke itself can compromise healing in the mouth because it contains contaminants and irritates the gums. Yet refraining from smoking can be very tough for people who are accustomed to doing so every day and have not quit before the surgery. Interestingly, the review of studies also found that taking antibiotics before the extraction significantly decreases the chance of a dry socket forming. You can also visit them on Facebook for more information.
