Impacted Wisdom Teeth Calgary | Calgary Oral Surgeons

Less pain, more comfort

A promise from Mission Oral Surgery team

Our team of dedicated oral surgeons understands your fears and concerns when removing impacted wisdom teeth. Our goal is to ensure you feel safe and comfortable throughout your sessions with us.

Since an impacted wisdom tooth can affect the aesthetics and functioning of other teeth, it’s important to consult our oral surgeons in Calgary as soon as you notice any signs.

At your visits we aim to give you:

● A relaxed and stress-free experience
● A full understanding of your conditions and treatment options
● A clear walk through of your treatment process
● The best care possible.

Here, you will find comfort when you need it most.

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If your impacted wisdom tooth is giving you sleepless nights, talk to us.

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What are the symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth?

AN OVERVIEW

Wisdom teeth are the third molars at the back of the mouth. Sometimes, wisdom teeth may get stuck under the gum tissue or grow abnormally due to limited room on the dental arch. When this happens, the affected teeth are considered ‘impacted’. An impacted tooth also indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.

An impacted wisdom tooth isn’t always symptomatic.

However, when it gets infected, damages adjacent teeth, or causes other dental complications, you may experience symptoms such as:

Jaw pain
Swelling around the jaw
Bad breath
Red, swollen, and/or bleeding gums
An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Difficulty opening your mouth.

These symptoms may come and go for months.

Types of impactions

Our Calgary oral surgeons will need to see you for a consultation to determine if you will benefit from wisdom tooth removal. A special x-ray of your mouth and jaws (panorex) will be taken to determine if your wisdom teeth are impacted, if there is room for them to erupt, and how difficult it will be to have them removed.

Soft Tissue Impaction: There is not enough room to allow the gum tissue to retract for adequate cleaning of the tooth.
Partial Bony Impaction: There is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to partially erupt. However, the tooth cannot function properly in the chewing process, and creates cleaning problems, among others.
Complete Bony Impaction: There is NO space for the tooth to erupt. It remains embedded in the jaw bone or if even partially visible requires complex surgical techniques for removal. The impacted wisdom tooth may also be in an unusual position and difficult to remove. This situation can also arise when the shape or size of the jaw bone and other facial structures make the removal of this tooth significantly more complex.

Treating your impacted wisdom tooth in Calgary

If the impacted tooth is affecting other teeth or causing dental problems, surgery may be required to remove it. A wisdom tooth extraction involves dental sedation to numb your mouth, block pain, and put you to sleep.

Before dental surgery

For a safe and comfortable operation, observe the following guidelines before the dental surgery:

Avoid eating or drinking anything on the day of the surgery
Avoid smoking
Have an adult accompany you to the office and drive you home after the surgery
Remove dentures, contact lenses, and jewelry before the procedure
Don’t wear makeup or nail polish
If you have any kind of illness (such as a cold, sore throat, and stomach upsets), notify the office as soon as possible
If you’re taking any type of routine oral medications, let your doctor know.

The procedure will take about an hour.

Wisdom tooth removal aftercare

For a quick and complication-free recovery, post-operative care is crucial. Pain and complications such as swelling and infections can be minimized if you follow the instructions below.

The pain and swelling should subside more and more each day following surgery. If your post-operative pain or swelling worsens or unusual symptoms occur, call our office for instructions.

There will be a void where the tooth was removed. The void will fill in with new tissue gradually over the next month. In the meantime, the area should be kept clean, especially after meals, with salt water rinses or a toothbrush.

Immediately following surgery

The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for a half hour. After this time, the gauze pad should be removed and discarded.

Frequently asked questions about wisdom teeth removal post-surgery care

Is bleeding normal after wisdom teeth removal?

A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. Upon arriving at home, remove the gauze and leave out unless excessive bleeding is present. Excessive bleeding is when upon opening, your mouth begins to fill. Placing a gauze pad over the area and biting firmly for thirty minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened black tea bag for thirty minutes. The tannic acid in the black tea helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels.

To minimize further bleeding, do not become excited, sit upright, and avoid exercise. If bleeding does not subside, call our office for further instructions.

How can I manage or reduce the swelling?

The swelling that is normally expected is usually proportional to the surgery involved. Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes, and sides of the face is not uncommon. This is the body’s normal reaction to surgery and eventual repair.

The swelling will not become apparent until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operatively. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the sides of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake. After 36 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery.

Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.

Skin Discoloration

In some cases, discolouration of the skin follows swelling. The development of black, blue, green, or yellow discolouration is due to blood spreading beneath the tissues. This is a normal post-operative occurrence, which may occur 2-3 days post-operatively. Moist heat applied to the area may speed up the removal of the discolouration.

What do I do if the sutures move out of place?

Sutures are placed in the area of surgery to minimize postoperative bleeding and to help healing. Sometimes they become dislodged. This is no cause for alarm. Just remove the suture from your mouth and discard it. The sutures will dissolve approximately one week after surgery.

Is nausea and vomiting normal after wisdom teeth removal?

In the event of nausea and/or vomiting following surgery, do not take anything by mouth for at least an hour, including the prescribed medicine. You should then sip on tea or ginger ale. You should sip slowly over a fifteen-minute period. When the nausea subsides you can begin taking solid foods and the prescribed medicine.

Another option is to take over the counter Gravol thirty minutes prior to your next medication dose. This should settle the stomach and allow you to eat with your medications.

What can I eat after the procedure?

After general anesthetic or IV sedation only liquids should be consumed. Drink from a glass and do not use straws. The sucking motion can cause more bleeding by dislodging the blood clot. You may eat anything soft by chewing away from the surgical sites. A high calorie, high protein intake is very important. Our staff can provide suggested diet instructions. Nourishment should be taken regularly. You should prevent dehydration by taking fluids regularly. Your food intake will be limited for the first few days. You should compensate for this by increasing your fluid intake. At least 5-6 glasses of liquid should be taken daily. Try not to miss any meals. You will feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster if you continue to eat.

CAUTION: If you suddenly sit up or stand from a lying position you may become dizzy. If you are lying down following surgery, make sure you sit up for one minute before standing.

Can I rinse or brush my teeth after surgery?

No rinsing of any kind should be performed until the day following surgery. The day after surgery you should begin rinsing at least 5-6 times a day, especially after eating, with a teaspoon of salt mixed into one cup of warm water.

Brushing your teeth is okay – just be gentle at the surgical sites.

Do I have to take antibiotics?

If you have been placed on antibiotics, take the tablets or liquid as directed. Antibiotics will be given to help prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash or any other unfavourable reaction and contact our office immediately. Call the office if you have any questions.

Is numbness and stiffness around the mouth normal?

If numbness of the lip, chin, or tongue occurs there is no cause for alarm. As reviewed in your consultation, this is usually temporary in nature. You should be aware that if your lip or tongue is numb, you could bite it and not feel the sensation.

Stiffness (Trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event which will resolve in time.

Call Drs. Edwards and Goos if you have any questions.

My temperature is higher than usual. Is a fever part of the recovery?

Slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, notify the office. Tylenol or ibuprofen should be taken to reduce the fever.

Other complications

You should be careful going from the lying down position to standing. You could get light headed from low blood sugar or medications. Before standing up, you should sit for one minute before getting up.

Occasionally, patients may feel hard projections in the mouth with their tongue. They are not roots; they are the bony walls which supported the tooth. These projections usually smooth out spontaneously. If not, they can be removed by Drs. Edwards and Goos.

If the corners of your mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment such as Vaseline.

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Safe, comfortable treatment for an impacted wisdom tooth.