Introduction
Smile Street Pediatric Dentistry is here for you and your child
There isn’t anything worse than the pain of a toothache, especially when you have no idea when it is going happen, or how long it is going to last. Wisdom teeth can come in at any point throughout our life, some of us get them when we’re still in adolescence and having an experienced pediatric dentist is just as important if not more than it has ever been! Wisdom teeth are painful and come into often times disrupt the teeth that have already settled in.
If you suspect your child may be experiencing complications due to wisdom teeth, make an appoint, or mention it the next time you’re in the doctor’s office. It is so important that you do not wait to make that call because pain can increase quickly and not subside until the teeth or tooth has been fully removed.
Why should you remove them?
There are more reasons than one why wisdom teeth need to be extracted! These teeth are not meant to stay in your child’s mouth if they are causing discomfort, but more than that they can:
- Cause infection, crowding, and intense pain in the mouth. With all of these possibilities your child’s surrounding molars will begin to damage and even decay.
- Impacted wisdom teeth will form infection causing in permanent nerve, jawbone, and surrounding teeth damage.
- There have been reported cases of masses growing from the growth in the walls of the tooth and more extensive surgeries, on top of teeth removal, will be needed.
Impacted Teeth and Possible Complications
The best thing to do is to get them removed
Treatment for Wisdom Teeth
The best course of action is to have these teeth removed immediately. Once their roots form, they become difficult to remove without it being an invasive process, but it has to happen. Surrounding structures will begin to suffer if there is not enough room for the teeth to come through.
Impacted teeth are removed by incisions made in the gums to fully expose the wisdom tooth and it will then be removed. Any stitches placed on the open areas will fall out on their own later down the road.
There are different forms of anesthesia that may be used to keep your child from hearing the tools or feeling the pain. Talk to your specific doctor for more information.
Complications
There are issues that can occur with any surgery; however, not having these teeth removed will not be a healthy decision either. It is important to listen to post-surgery directions on food, cleanings, and liquids. If you do not listen to your doctor there are a list of possible injuries your child may sustain but post-surgery it is important to remember that your child will be in uncomfortable pain but persisting pain, sinus issues, or abnormal swelling are signs that you need to bring your child back in. Dry sockets are another possibility with pediatric wisdom teeth removal, ask your doctor for signs and how to handle them if they occur.
Recovery Time
How to go home!
Swelling is inevitable, for the first 72-hours it is important to have an ice pack on the area to help reduce swelling which will help the tissues in the surrounding areas begin to heal. Soft foods are the only foods that your child should eat for a couple of days and if their pain tolerance is low, they may want to stick to soft foods for a longer period of time. In the days preceding ensure that your adolescence avoids:
- Sucking fluids through straws
- Tobacco
- Constant rinsing or cleaning of the mouth
- Hard foods
- Exercise
