Wisdom Tooth Extractions – Staten Island, NY
The “Wise” Move for Your Oral Health
Wisdom tooth extractions in Staten Island are often seen as a sort of rite of passage for teens and young adults. If you still have your third molars, you may wonder if they really need to be removed. If they do, you might want to learn what is involved in the procedure. Read on below to learn some basic details about this treatment, and get in touch with us when you are ready to schedule a consultation with our team.
Why Choose Nu Dental Staten Island for Wisdom Tooth Extractions?
- Sedation Available
- Friendly & Compassionate Team
- Partnered with Local Specialists
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars at the back of the mouth. They usually develop when a person is in their teens, when they are older and “wiser” than they were when their other teeth erupted. Most people have four wisdom teeth, one in each quadrant of their mouth. However, some people have fewer or more. A small percentage of individuals never develop wisdom teeth at all.
Why Do Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?
Wisdom teeth do not always need to be removed. Your dentist in Staten Island will determine whether they are a threat to your oral health and recommend that they be extracted only if it is truly necessary.
If wisdom teeth remain in the mouth for too long, they have the potential to cause the following problems:
- Cysts
- Infections
- Decay of wisdom teeth and nearby molars (if the wisdom teeth trap food in hard-to-clean areas of your mouth)
- Misalignment (if the teeth push on nearby dentition)
What to Expect from the Wisdom Teeth Procedure
If your wisdom teeth have already erupted beyond your gumline, removing them should be pretty straightforward. We will use an elevator to lift them, then grip them with forceps in order to wiggle them free of their sockets.
If a wisdom tooth is impacted (stuck beneath the gumline) the removal process is more complex. We may refer you to a local specialist, who might have to create incisions in your gums or break the tooth into pieces in order to remove it.
Recovering from Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Here are some guidelines that we usually give our patients to help them enjoy a smooth recovery following wisdom tooth removal:
- Do not spit, smoke, or use a drinking straw
- Use gauze to control any bleeding
- Take pain medications to manage discomfort
- Avoid hard and crunchy foods — instead, eat no-chew or fork-tender items
- Elevate your head while you are sleeping
- Avoid strenuous physical activity
- Call us if you experience any severe pain or other unusual symptoms
Understanding the Cost of Wisdom Tooth Extractions
Wisdom teeth, or your third molars, typically erupt between the ages of 16 and 25. While they were useful for our ancestors, many people today do not have room in their mouths to accommodate them. If you need to have your wisdom teeth extracted, it is understandable to be concerned about the cost of your treatment. During your consultation, we will be able to give you specific details about the cost of your treatment. In the meantime, here are some things to take into consideration.
Factors That Can Impact the Cost of Wisdom Tooth Extractions
The cost of your wisdom tooth extractions can vary based on several different factors:
- Number of Wisdom Teeth: Not everyone develops all four wisdom teeth. Some have only one, two, or three of them.
- Complexity: Impacted wisdom teeth often require surgical intervention. We may refer you to a local specialist. Ultimately, the more complex the procedure, the more it will cost.
- Sedation: Depending on whether you require surgical or simple wisdom tooth extractions, you may also need anesthesia or sedation, which can incur a separate cost.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Wisdom Tooth Extractions?
Most dental insurance plans will cover at least part of you’re the cost of your wisdom tooth extractions. However, this will depend on a few different factors, like whether you have met your deductible or maximum for the year. The best way to learn about your specific benefits is to call your insurance provider directly. If you have any questions or concerns regarding insurance, feel free to reach out to one of our friendly team members for assistance.
To learn exactly how much you can expect your wisdom tooth extraction to cost, schedule a consultation with us. We are happy to help you work towards a healthy smile!
Wisdom Tooth Extractions FAQs
Has your dentist recommended that you get your wisdom teeth pulled? If so, this may be the essential procedure you need to preserve a healthy and comfortable smile. Even so, it’s natural to want to know as much as possible about the treatment before jumping on board. That’s why our team at Nu Dental Staten Island is more than happy to collect and answer our most common questions about wisdom tooth extractions. Keep reading to learn more or give us a call if you don’t see the information you’re looking for!
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Painful?
The very first step of the wisdom tooth removal process is to completely numb the area of your mouth we’ll be working on with local anesthetic. This will ensure that you are completely pain-free throughout your appointment. Our team can also provide you with sedation dentistry, which can keep you relaxed and comfortable while we work on your smile. However, it’s normal to feel some mild soreness or discomfort after your procedure. The good news is that this can be easily managed with over-the-counter pain medications. We’ll provide you with specific aftercare instructions so that you can be comfortable during your healing process.
Why Are Wisdom Teeth Called That?
Due to sometimes being problematic for your oral health and smile, it’s difficult to see how wisdom teeth are at all “wise.” These final molars are thought to have been called wisdom teeth due to them only emerging during early adulthood. At this point, a person would be much older than they were when their other permanent pearly whites first erupted. For this reason, these molars were named after the famous saying, “with age comes wisdom.”
How Long Does Wisdom Tooth Surgery Take?
In most cases, if you’re being sedated during your procedure, you’ll likely feel as though no time has passed at all. Generally speaking, a wisdom tooth extraction can take about 15-20 minutes per tooth. This means removing all four can end up taking 90 minutes or more. The timeframe for your procedure can vary depending on several factors, such as the location, position, angle, and whether it’s impacted or not. Before undergoing your treatment, our team will provide you with a more specific estimate of how long your appointment will take, that way you can schedule or plan accordingly.
Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
While these final molars don’t seem to be much help for us nowadays, they were essential for our early human ancestors. Back then, our diet mainly consisted of raw meals, such as raw meat, nuts, berries, leaves, and roots. Since they didn’t slice or prepare their food, they required a large and sturdy jaw to grind and chew their meals. For this reason, wisdom teeth had plenty of space to be beneficial for a person’s digestive process. However, in modern times, we’re able to prepare, cut up, and munch on softer foods. Not only does this mean we don’t necessarily require our wisdom teeth anymore, but our jaws have also shrunk enough to where we usually don’t have room to accommodate these molars like before.