Removal of erupted or impacted wisdom teeth by a board-certified oral surgeon, with IV sedation available and a call from your surgeon the evening after.
Wisdom teeth are the third molars, the last teeth to come in, usually between the ages of 17 and 25. Many jaws simply don't have room for them. They can come in at an angle, stay trapped under the gum or bone, or break through only partway, which leaves a pocket that is hard to clean. Removing them is one of the most common procedures an oral surgeon performs, and one of the most predictable when it is planned well.
Why your dentist may recommend removal
Not every wisdom tooth needs to come out. Teeth that are fully erupted, upright, healthy and easy to clean can often stay. Removal is usually recommended when a wisdom tooth is causing, or is likely to cause, a problem:
- Repeated infection of the gum over a partly erupted tooth (pericoronitis)
- Decay or gum disease on the wisdom tooth or the molar in front of it
- Pressure that damages the root of the neighboring tooth
- A cyst forming around a tooth that is still under the bone
- Teeth that can't be kept clean, even with good brushing
Removal tends to be easier in the late teens and early twenties, when the roots are not yet fully formed and the bone is more forgiving. Healing is usually quicker at that age too.
How it's done at Molly
Your consultation starts with a panoramic X-ray. If a lower tooth sits close to the inferior alveolar nerve, the nerve that gives feeling to the lower lip and chin, your surgeon adds a 3D cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan to see exactly where the roots and the nerve are. That picture shapes the plan and lets your surgeon explain the risks to you specifically, not in general terms.
Most patients choose IV sedation. You breathe on your own, you are deeply relaxed, and most people remember little of the procedure. Throughout, your heart rhythm, oxygen level and breathing are monitored continuously. Local anesthetic alone, or with nitrous oxide, is an option for simpler cases. Removing all four teeth typically takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Before anything is scheduled, you receive one written quote covering the consultation, imaging, anesthesia, surgery and follow-up. We check both your dental and medical insurance.
What recovery is like
Expect swelling that peaks around the second or third day, then fades. Most people return to school, desk work and normal routines within three to five days. Strenuous exercise usually waits about a week. Soft foods are easiest for the first several days, and you'll go home with written instructions and a prescription plan.
The most common setback is dry socket, when the blood clot in a lower socket breaks down early. It shows up as a throbbing ache two to four days after surgery and is treated with a soothing dressing at a short visit. Your surgeon calls you the evening after surgery, and the 24/7 surgeon line is there any night you have a question.
