How Long Does a Wisdom Tooth Extraction Take?
Posted on (not posted yet) by San Tan Oral Surgery |
 Having your wisdom teeth removed can seem like a hassle, not to mention an inconvenience. How long does a wisdom tooth extraction take? Will it be painful? Fortunately, our team at San Tan Oral Surgery in Gilbert, AZ can take care of your teeth with competency and care. You don’t need to take a lot of time to take care of yourself and your family with our experienced tooth extraction removal team.
FAQ About Wisdom Teeth Removal
How Much Time Does the Actual Tooth Extraction Take?
The time it takes to extract a tooth depends on several factors, including:
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If the tooth has come in
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Infection or pain in the tooth
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If the tooth is impacted
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If one or more of the surrounding teeth are damaged
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Gum disease |
Surprisingly, removing a wisdom tooth without any complications only takes a few minutes. However, an impacted tooth could take up to 20 minutes to extract. Without complications, you could be in and out of our office in about an hour!
How long does a wisdom tooth extraction take?
We want you to be able to rest in the comfort of your own home as quickly as possible. Your Wisdom teeth removal gilbert AZ should be finished in about an hour, so you can go home and relax at that point. Before you leave our office, we may take a few minutes to talk to you about your recovery and how to take care of yourself.
If you need more extensive surgery, we’ll want to keep an eye on you until we know you are doing well. This usually takes only a few extra minutes.
How Long Do I Need to Take Off Work or School?
Most of our patients only need one day off after an extraction. If you have an impacted tooth, you may want another day to recover. We can also schedule your extraction close to the weekend if that helps you with more recovery time.
Why Should I Take the Time to Get My Teeth Removed?
The 4 extra teeth in the back of our mouths are a genetic product of a time when mankind needed a few extra teeth, just in case. After centuries have passed, however, we don’t really need our wisdom teeth anymore. Our mouths just don’t have the room.
Leaving your extra teeth in your mouth almost always causes complications later on in life. Removing the extra teeth now can take less time and eliminate future problems like:
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Tooth decay
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Swollen or bleeding gum tissue
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Headaches
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Jaw pain
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Overcrowding
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Tooth misalignment |
Although you may need a day to rest after your tooth extraction, you can avoid quite a few visits to the dentist in the future by having all 4 of your wisdom teeth removed now.
What Should I Expect if I Have an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?
Many people experience an impacted wisdom tooth or two. An impacted tooth happens when the tooth is stuck under gum tissue or isn’t able to break through the gums. Luckily, we have an experienced care team skilled in impacted wisdom tooth extraction.
Most impacted teeth extractions take about 20-30 minutes. Our expert oral surgeon and our team work together to make sure your surgery runs as smoothly as possible.
Preparing for Your Wisdom Teeth Removal Gilbert AZ Treatment
When you first come into our office, we check you in and set you up in a room. Our staff can answer your questions and help you feel comfortable. The anesthesiologist then administers anesthesia.
The amount of anesthesia or sedation we use depends on your situation. A patient with an impacted wisdom tooth will need heavier sedation, whereas a patient without complications may just need local anesthesia. The local anesthesia may take 15-30 minutes to fully take effect.
How long to recover from impacted wisdom teeth removal?
Removing your teeth doesn’t take much time, but you’ll want to take some time to recover from your extraction. Following a few guidelines can decrease your recovery time and help you get back to normal as soon as possible.
1. How Long Do I Need to Stay Down?
Most patients who have all 4 wisdom teeth extracted should plan on taking at least one full day to rest. This allows your body to repair and heal after the surgery. You should also avoid:
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Too many bumps or jostles
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Brushing and flossing
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Drinking through a straw
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Solid food or soda
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Hot drinks or alcoholic beverages
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Chewing gum
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Any food that is hard or sticky |
When you do feel like eating again, choose soft foods like yogurt, pudding, applesauce, eggs, smoothies, or soup. You can use your extraction as a reason to watch your favorite movie and eat ice cream!
2. How Long Do I Need to Refrain From Normal Activities?
That depends on which activities you want to resume. While going back to school or work may be okay, you don’t want to start playing contact sports right away.
For a normal surgery, wait at least three days before you start participating in high-intensity activities again. For a surgery that involved impacted teeth or other complications, wait about a week to do things like play basketball or go water skiing.
3. How Can I Speed Up My Recovery Time?
We know you want to get back to your regular life as soon as possible. We do everything we can on our end to ensure a speedy recovery but you can help by doing the following:
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Avoid rough activity that could dislodge the blood clot
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Use an ice pack to reduce inflammation and swelling
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Use a pain reliever or anti-inflammatory per our instructions
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Wait one full day and then use salt water to gently rinse your mouth |
Save any big activities for later. Don’t plan on moving any furniture or running with the bulls until you are fully recovered.
Contact Us Today!
We believe your time is valuable and we want to get you on the road to recovery as quickly as possible. Don’t let your wisdom teeth complicate your life. Call San Tan Oral Surgery in Gilbert, AZ today to schedule an appointment or to find out how we can help you feel better faster! |
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