Millions of people the world over get wisdom teeth, most often between the ages of 17 to 24. Some people only get one or two but you can have up to four wisdom teeth. If the teeth do not fit well in your mouth then they become impacted and cause swelling, pain and even infection. Impacted wisdom teeth surgery is the only way to permanently cure this; while some people do take antibiotics and painkillers, these do not cure the problem but only reduce the symptoms.
If you need surgery done on your teeth, your dentist will either do it himself or refer you to a dental surgeon, depending on the particulars of your case. Either way, you will be asked to stop smoking as this slows the healing after the surgery and makes it more likely for the gums to become infected.
In most cases you only need to have local anesthesia applied to the gums and then the dentist will extract the wisdom tooth or teeth. This will leave your jaw without feeling for a few hours but you will be awake during the entire procedure, which takes just a few minutes. If you need more complicated surgery due to infection or severe impaction, then you will be given a general anesthesia. This is a lot more involved as you will have to fast for up to six hours before the procedure, in some cases not even drinking water. The nurse will also take your blood pressure and heart rate and you will be asked to sign a consent form stating that you understand what the surgery entails and giving permission for it to take place.
Irregardless of where the wisdom teeth surgery takes place, after the operation the gums will be stitched up and you will need to give yourself some time to recover before going home. If you have only had a local anesthesia you can drive home as soon as you feel ready but with general anesthesia you will need to ask a friend to drive you home or call a taxi, although the first option is more advisable. You will also need to avoid drinking alcohol, driving or doing important legal work for around 48 hours after the operation. The anesthetic takes time to fully wear off and you will feel a bit woozy and not be able to think clearly.
You will also be given antiseptic mouthwash and antibiotics by the nurse attending your surgery. Be sure to use these as often as you are told to so that you do not risk the gum area becoming infected. Using painkillers of some kind is also important as once the anesthetic wears off the area is quite painful. It is not just the tooth or teeth that is removed with wisdom teeth surgery but also a part of the jawbone is taken out by the dentist so that he or she can pull out the entire wisdom tooth. Watch what you eat as well and do not try to eat hard to chew foods before you feel ready.
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