Impacted wisdom teeth swelling can cause great fear and anxiety for many people. This is usually because they do not know what to expect when they go to the dentist to diagnose and treat their condition. Much of the process will include diagnosis of the swelling, and deciding which procedure would be best to treat the patient.
When the patient first goes into the dentist office, they will most likely get a series of x-rays to diagnose their swelling. The most common type of x-ray for wisdom teeth is the panoramic film. This gives the dentist a good picture of the entire jaw and all four wisdom teeth.
Next, the dentist will perform a visual exam of the affected area. There are couple of reasons for infections. The most common is infection. Another possibility is a cyst. Sometimes a cyst will form around an impacted wisdom tooth if it has not been removed. This is typically only found in older patients.
In either case, the dentist will likely recommend extracting the affected tooth. If the dentist feels like he or she can do perform the extraction in their office, they will simply reappoint the patient for the extraction of the tooth. If infection is causing the swelling, the patient is usually prescribed a round of antibiotics to control the infection because infection can sometimes cause ineffectiveness of the anesthetic. Infection will also result in slow healing time.
If the dentist feels the extraction may be too difficult for them, the patient may be referred to a specialist called an oral surgeon. An oral surgeon has facilities and equipment that a regular dentist does not usually have in their office. This may include the ability to sedate a patient intravenously, or different methods of wisdom teeth removal. Oral surgeon referrals are common when it comes to impacted wisdom teeth. This is because the tooth has not fully erupted. Sometimes the development of the tooth is hindered due to the anatomy of the patient’s jaw, or the shape and anatomy of the tooth itself.
Going to the oral surgeon is not much of a big procedure, as many people make it out to be. It can usually be a quicker alternative to the regular dentist office extraction because of the additional specialized skill of the surgeon and the access to surgical tools and sedation.
When going to the oral surgeon, a patient will likely have a consultation visit. This will allow the surgeon to view the patient’s x-ray images and discuss the procedure with the patient, so they know what they can expect. They can also communicate their preferences when it comes to sedation and anxiety control.
After the procedure, the patient is instructed on how to care for their extraction site for minimal healing time. They may also be prescribed antibiotics if the doctor feels they may become reinfected.
It is important not to delay seeking dental care when it comes to oral infection. Infection can reduce bone level and have a major impact on a patient’s overall health.
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