/ Services / Wisdom Teeth Removal
Your wisdom teeth are the set of third molars that grow into the mouth around the mid- to late teens.
Most people don’t realize that their mouth is too small to accommodate their wisdom teeth until the teeth begin causing oral health problems like infection, impaction, cysts, dental crowding, and more.
Fortunately, avoiding these oral health risks is as easy as visiting an oral surgeon for an examination and undergoing a wisdom teeth removal procedure.
If you or your child has been recommended for wisdom teeth removal, please contact our office. We’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions and schedule your consultation with one of our oral surgeons.
Wisdom teeth emerge much later than the rest of the adult teeth, and they are sometimes impossible to detect without regular dental examinations and X-ray imaging.
If wisdom teeth are properly aligned to grow into your mouth without issue, they may not require removal.
Unfortunately, very few people have enough room in their mouths to accommodate these additional molars, and in some instances when the wisdom teeth do erupt properly, they are difficult to keep adequately clean and may require removal. Often, wisdom teeth cause many oral health problems if not addressed properly.
Wisdom teeth tend to grow sideways, crowd the other teeth, and get trapped under the gums.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause serious health problems like infections, cysts, or even tumors, which is why most dental professionals recommend early detection and removal of wisdom teeth — usually around the early to mid-teen years. In many cases, these issues present themselves long before the wisdom teeth fully grow into the mouth. Our oral surgeons are experts in the diagnosis and removal of problematic wisdom teeth.
When you visit Columbia Basin Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, your oral surgeon will thoroughly examine your mouth, and scans may also be taken to get a better idea of the position and development stage of your wisdom teeth.
If it is determined that your wisdom teeth pose a risk to your overall oral health, a custom treatment plan will be formed for extraction.
Your surgeon will also help you choose an anesthesia option that is best for you. Oral surgeons are trained to administer a variety of anesthesia options, and our state-of-the-art surgical center has all the necessary monitoring equipment for a safe and comfortable procedure.
We offer local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, IV sedation and general anesthesia.
Most patients undergo a combination of IV sedation or general anesthesia to maximize comfort during wisdom teeth removal, but your oral surgeon will take your health situation and your specific concerns into account when planning your treatment.
At the surgery appointment, once your anesthesia has been administered, your surgeon will carefully open the gums over the tooth and remove any bone that is obstructing the path. Depending on the size and position of your wisdom teeth, the tooth may be broken into smaller pieces before it is extracted.
This minimizes the amount of bone and gum tissue that must be removed. If your wisdom teeth are fully grown into your mouth, they are extracted just like any other tooth. Once the entire tooth is removed, sutures will be placed to close the gums and protect the empty tooth socket during the healing process.
Our surgeons have years of experience removing wisdom teeth, and their extensive surgical training makes them experts in extracting teeth in an efficient, minimally invasive manner.
Our state-of-the-art surgical facility has advanced monitoring equipment and safety standards, so you can rest assured that you will be well cared for throughout your procedure. If you or your child need wisdom teeth extracted, contact our office today to schedule a consultation.