One of the most common visits to the oral surgeon for young adults is for the extraction of their wisdom teeth. Frequently wisdom teeth erupt and become a source of problems in the mouth. They may be misaligned causing uncomfortable bite problems or infection can set in near the tooth and gum causing pain in the area. Sometimes the teeth never erupt and become impacted. No matter what the problem, when something isn’t right, wisdom teeth are usually painful. Because there is no specific function of these teeth, when they cause problems, it’s generally recommended that they are removed. Because wisdom teeth removal is more involved than a normal tooth extraction, it’s usually advised that the patient see an Oral Surgeon in Summit NJ for the procedure.
Because some wisdom tooth extractions are more serious than other dental procedures, the Oral Surgeon in Summit NJ will recommend one of several types of anesthesia for the extraction. Most standard dental procedures from fillings to minor extractions are completed with a local anesthesia. This is the anesthesia that most people are familiar with. It is injected into the gum and cheek, numbing the area so that the patient feels no pain. This is sometimes coupled with nitrous, laughing gas, to ensure the patient stays relaxed during the procedure.
Another widely used anesthesia used at Westfield Oral Surgery for wisdom tooth extraction is oral sedation. This type anesthesia is taken at home, before arriving at the office. It’s usually an anti-anxiety drug, taken in a pill form. Someone must drive the patient to the office. Using oral anesthesia, the patient is very calm and relaxed and usually remembers nothing about the dental procedure that was done.
The last type sedation used for wisdom tooth removal is IV sedation. A drug is injected intravenously into the patient. The patient essentially “goes to sleep” until the procedure is done. Then the IV is removed, and the patient awakens. The patient has no recollection of anything but sitting in the chair waiting for the procedure to start.
Many choices of sedation make wisdom tooth extraction much easier than in years past. Now it can be as easy as going to sleep until it’s over. Take the time to tell the surgeon how you’re feeling and he’ll ensure that you have the type sedation you need to make the procedure simple for you.
