It's common knowledge that having your wisdom teeth removed can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. But what about the long-term effects? Up to 1 in 100 people may have permanent problems as a result of wisdom teeth removal, such as numbness or damage to nearby teeth. The risk of this happening will depend on the extent of the procedure. Previous studies have only reported adverse effects on taste after extraction and, in general, those effects are believed to wear off over time.
However, a new study has revealed that taste function may actually improve slightly between the time patients undergo surgery and up to 20 years later. It's common to experience some pain and swelling in the days after wisdom teeth are removed. While the amount can vary greatly for each patient, both can be correlated with the duration of the surgery itself. In addition to dental pain relievers, your dentist may recommend that you eat soft foods and that you refrain from strenuous physical activities to speed up the healing process.
Minor bleeding and redness are common during the first 24 hours after the procedure, but these usually go away within 8 to 12 hours, since that's how long it takes for a blood clot to form over the extraction area. If the decision is made to prophylactically remove wisdom teeth, there are numerous videos on the Internet that show the surgical process of removing these annoying teeth. Many people have impacted wisdom teeth that don't have enough space to go out in their mouths or develop normally. Keep in mind that surgical removal of wisdom teeth is highly invasive and is not a simple, bloodless process. In addition to problems in the mouth and jaw, wisdom tooth problems can also affect overall health and cause headaches as the infection reaches the brain, a condition that can be life-threatening.
The Benefits of Wisdom Teeth Removal
The findings of this study question the idea that the extraction of wisdom teeth, known as third molars, has only the potential to have negative effects on taste, and represent one of the first studies to analyze the long-term effects of extraction on taste.The removal of wisdom teeth is a simple and routine surgical procedure, which is generally performed under local anesthesia. If a wisdom tooth doesn't have room to grow (impacted wisdom tooth), causing pain, infection, or other dental problems, you may need to remove it. Problems with wisdom teeth are common, and removing them sooner rather than later can prevent ongoing problems in the future. If wisdom teeth come out after wearing braces, they can nullify that orthodontic treatment by causing other teeth to move. Patients whose wisdom teeth were removed improved their taste capacity decades after surgery, according to a new Penn Medicine study published in the journal Chemical Senses.
The Risks Associated with Wisdom Teeth Removal
In a study involving 266 adult patients whose four wisdom teeth had their four wisdom teeth removed, patients estimated that they would miss just two days or less from work.If you wait longer than you did in early adulthood to have your wisdom teeth removed, the complications and risks associated with the procedure, including nerve damage, are likely to increase. Removing wisdom teeth from older people increases the difficulty of the surgical procedure, with possible problems such as nerve damage. When wisdom teeth cause a clump in the mouth, there is no procedure that can make all of the teeth fit together. If you are concerned about having your wisdom teeth removed due to complications or discomfort caused by pain, it is important to discuss your concerns with your dentist. If a cyst worsens it can develop into a tumor that requires surgery in addition to removal of wisdom teeth.
