Wisdom Tooth Removal in Mississauga

Wisdom teeth arrive last, usually in the late teens or early twenties, and often into a mouth with no room left for them. Some cause no trouble at all and are best left alone. Others become impacted, get infected, damage the tooth in front, or are impossible to keep clean.

Not every wisdom tooth needs removing. A wisdom tooth that is fully through, functional and cleanable is generally left where it is.

• Repeated infection around a partly erupted tooth
• Decay in the wisdom tooth or the tooth in front of it
• Damage to the neighbouring tooth
• A cyst forming around an impacted tooth
• Persistent pain or swelling
• Difficult or impossible to clean, which makes decay more likely

Assessment first, including imaging to see the roots and their relationship to the nerve.

Removal is done under local anaesthetic. Some wisdom teeth come out straightforwardly; impacted ones take longer and may involve removing a small amount of bone or dividing the tooth.

Recovery is more involved than a routine extraction. Expect swelling that peaks around day two to three, jaw stiffness, and several days of taking it easy. Lower wisdom teeth are generally more uncomfortable than upper.

Same principles as any extraction, and they matter more here.

First 24 hours: no rinsing, spitting, straws or smoking. Cold compress on the outside of the face. Soft food. Rest.

From day two: gentle warm salt water rinses, keep brushing the rest normally.

Call us if: severe pain starts two to four days afterwards, swelling worsens after day three, you develop a fever, or you cannot open your mouth.

They arrive last, into a space that is often already full. Most other teeth come through into a mouth that has room for them. Wisdom teeth frequently do not, which is why they cause problems no other tooth does.

A partly erupted wisdom tooth is difficult to clean. A flap of gum over a tooth at the very back traps food and bacteria in a place a toothbrush does not reach well. That is why the gum around them becomes sore and infected repeatedly.

They can damage the tooth in front. An impacted wisdom tooth pressing against its neighbour can cause decay or resorption on a healthy second molar: a tooth well worth keeping.

Removing them early is usually simpler. Roots are less developed and bone is more forgiving in younger patients, and recovery tends to be more straightforward.

Not every wisdom tooth needs removing. This matters as much as the rest. A wisdom tooth that has come through fully, meets its opposite number, and can be kept clean can simply be left alone and watched. Removal is treatment for a problem, not a routine milestone, and a practice that recommends taking out all four as a matter of course is not assessing your mouth.