What Should I Do With My Teen's Wisdom Tooth?

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. These teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth, if there are healthy and correctly aligned. However, during their growth, they are misaligned and needed to be removed.
For most people, wisdom teeth aren't visible because they have become impacted under the gingival tissue. 
An impacted tooth is a tooth enclosed within the soft tissue or the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum. This impacted wisdom tooth give an opening for bacteria to enter and cause an infection which results in pain, swelling, stiffness of the jaw and general illnesses. When this happens to your tooth, they are prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning makes brushing and flossing difficult.

How can you tell if your wisdom tooth requires extraction?
Not all wisdom teeth need extraction. If the tooth erupts cleanly through the tissue, without compromising the adjacent tooth, it can be retained in the mouth with little concern as long as you are able to brush, floss and clean it thoroughly.

When should you get your wisdom tooth extracted?
Extraction is needed if the tooth has partially erupted through the gingival tissue, causing inflammation or infection. In some cases, a soft-tissue grows over the partially erupted tooth, referred to as operculum. If bacteria is trapped under the operculum, an infection called pericoronitis can develop. Pericoronitis is an inflammation of the gums and it is a sign that you need get your wisdom extracted. Symptoms of this infection include:

• Red, inflamed gum tissue behind the last visible molar.
• Bad taste/smell coming from your mouth.
• Extreme pain while biting with back teeth.
• Pus oozing from the inflamed area.

If you notice any of the above symptoms in your teen, take them to the dentist right away.

What should I expect post-surgery?
After surgery, the speed of your recovery depends on the degree of difficulty of the extraction. In general, here's what to expect during the first 24 hours.

• Bleeding
• Administration of pain medication or antibiotics
• Food is to be restricted to a liquid diet

After 24 hours

• Facial swelling
• After meals and before bed, rinse your mouth with warm salt water
• Stiches need to be removed

Complete healing doesn't occur for a few weeks to a few months following the extraction. However, enough healing takes place within the first two weeks for your mouth to be reasonably comfortable in the area of extraction.
If your case is specific, your dentist with tell you what to expect.

What are the potential risks or complications following surgery?
It's only on a rare occasion that complications rise after surgically removing your wisdom teeth. They are:

• Dry socket: 
  This is a common complication that occurs when either a blood clot has failed to form in the extracted tooth socket or the blood clot that did form has been dislodged.
  Healing is delayed without clot formation. Dry socket typically occurs 3 or 4 days following the extraction, accompanied by moderate to severe pain along with a foul mouth odor.
  Dry socket is nothing to worry about, your dentistor oral surgeon will that the dry socket by placing medication in the socket.
• Paresthesia: 
  This is a rarer complication that follows wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom teeth that are entrapped in the jawbone are often close to nerves. Sometimes, these nerves can be bruised or damaged during the tooth removal process. The result is a numbness of the tongue, lip or chin that lasts for days to months and can even be permanent.

If you ever experience discomfort during the emerging of your wisdom tooth, visit your dentist as soon as you can to avoid any sort of complications that might come up later.

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