Most people will have at least one wisdom tooth removed during their lives. While getting wisdom teeth removed is usually a smooth process without serious complications, you should know what to expect before speaking with your doctor about your wisdom teeth. Knowing what to expect when you get your wisdom teeth removed and asking the right questions can make the process easier.
Providing employees with a supportive network of doctors and dentists can help them be more confident, informed, and productive. Group Enroll helps small businesses find insurance providers and set up group insurance for employees. This article takes you through the process of wisdom tooth extraction and the role that dental coverage plays in good oral health.
Find more information about insurance rates here.
Table of Contents
Determining Whether You Need Wisdom Teeth Removed
Some impacted wisdom teeth produce significant pain, while others produce no symptoms for years. Even if a wisdom tooth does not cause pain, it could still cause problems such as:
- Gum inflammation and gum disease
- Infections
- Damage to nearby teeth
- Misalignment of nearby teeth
- Cavities due to difficulty brushing wisdom teeth that have pierced the gumline
You might need expensive and lengthy oral surgery to correct these problems if you do not treat them as soon as possible. The Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons recommends extracting wisdom teeth at a young age because the recovery period tends to be shorter and the risks lower in younger patients.
Visiting a dentist for regular checkups allows you to plan a course of treatment with your dentist before impacted wisdom teeth have the chance to cause serious problems.
Consultation With Your Dentist
During the initial consultation with your dentist, you will discuss your medical and dental history. Let your dentist know whether you have impacted wisdom teeth or suffered from the condition in the past. If you have allergies to any anesthetic, antibiotics, or other medications, share this information as well.
Your dentist will probably take dental X-rays unless you already have recent X-rays on file. Up-to-date X-rays allow your dentist to spot any impacted wisdom teeth lurking under the surface of the gums.
In many cases, your dentist will suggest monitoring your wisdom teeth. However, if your wisdom teeth pose an immediate danger, they might have to come out.
If you and your dentist decide that getting wisdom teeth removed is the best option, your dentist will schedule surgery and develop a treatment plan. At this point, your dentist should be able to estimate the cost of your procedure and help you determine which costs your insurance will cover.
Group Enroll helps Canadian small businesses find competitive rates for medical, vision, and dental coverage for their employees. Healthrates.ca has more information about health and dental insurance.
Preparing for Wisdom Tooth Extraction
A few days before getting wisdom teeth removed, you might have to stop taking certain medications that could cause complications during dental surgery. Check with your dentist to determine how long you should avoid eating before surgery.
Often, dentists ask patients to fast for eight hours before surgery. Fasting limits the growth of bacteria on your teeth and makes it less likely that anything you eat interferes with anesthesia, sedation, or any other aspect of the procedure.
The Wisdom Tooth Extraction Procedure
Either a dentist or an oral surgeon will perform your surgery. An oral surgeon might be the better choice for complicated surgeries involving multiple teeth or damage to nearby teeth or the jawbone.
During the procedure itself, the dentist or oral surgeon might give you a mild sedative to help you relax during surgery. Next, they will typically numb the area around the impacted wisdom tooth with a local anesthetic such as novocaine.
After waiting for the anesthetic to take effect, the oral surgeon will either break up the tooth into smaller pieces or extract the entire tooth. In cases where the impacted wisdom tooth has only partially erupted from the gum line, the surgeon might need to make an incision to reach the impacted tooth. The surgeon might have to place stitches to help the gums heal.
Recovery From Wisdom Tooth Removal
Plan for your recovery period after the tooth extraction. You should expect to have some pain for a few days or more after the surgery. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen could provide some pain relief.
Pain can vary considerably from patient to patient for similar surgeries. Your dentist will be able to give you a better idea of how much pain to expect.
After Care for Wisdom Tooth Removal
During the recovery period, you should avoid some activities such as sucking through a straw and consuming certain foods and drinks. Keep the following in mind:
- Hot foods can interfere with clot formation and healing.
- Crunchy foods or foods that produce small bits can get stuck in the tooth socket and cause injury.
- Drinking with a straw can lead to dry socket and prevent the incision from healing correctly. Dry socket develops when the blood clot protecting the tooth socket comes off, exposing sensitive nerves and delicate gum tissue.
Your dentist will let you know of any other restrictions. If you have any questions, especially about what to do immediately after surgery, be sure to ask your dentist in advance.
What Are Dental Veneers and How Much Do They Cost in Canada?
Learn more about other dental procedure costs in Canada in this article.
Find Quality Dental Insurance With Group Enroll
Getting wisdom teeth removed is easier if the patient has a dentist they trust and knows how they will pay their dental health care costs throughout the process. Small business owners can make things easier and minimize the number of sick days patients need by setting up high-quality dental insurance plans.
The Group Enroll process is simple. Just visit our website to learn more about our services and send in a request for a quote. We’ll talk with you for five or ten minutes by phone to get to know your business and how we can help.
After a few days, we will give you a list of quotes from reliable insurance providers. We will work with you and support you as you create customized health and dental insurance solutions for your employees and help your employees navigate their options. We’ll provide administrative support and logistical assistance every step of the way.
With you and Group Enroll working together on your employees’ behalf, they won’t have to be anxious about the prospect of getting wisdom teeth removed or having any other dental procedure. You can contact us by email at [email protected]. We are located at 10 Great Gulf Drive, Unit 5, Vaughan, ON, L4K 0K7.
