Wisdom Teeth FAQ

No, but most people do. From time to time, Dr. Martin will see a patient whose wisdom teeth appear to have fit nicely in the mouth and thus don’t need removal, but they are still prone to disease and must be monitored for life.

Between the ages of 17-25, before the roots have fully developed and entwined themselves in the nerves located in the jawbone, making removal much more complicated.

Sometimes we only need to remove one or two, and sometimes three or four. We will assess your case thoroughly to determine the best course of action.

Most often, yes! The length of your procedure depends on the amount of teeth we are removing, the severity of impaction and several other factors. However, the typical extraction does take less than an hour, and we will keep you comfortable the whole time.

The first day of your recovery you will probably be too sleepy to do much, but most patients are back to their normal activities within 3-4 days.

During the procedure, you won’t feel a thing. However, you may have soreness for a few days following the surgery as the anesthesia wears off. We will discuss pain control methods and set you up with any necessary prescriptions ahead of time so that you remain comfortable at home as well.

We have a variety of levels of anesthesia to accommodate different patients’ needs. We will discuss your anesthesia preferences prior to your surgery day.

Impacted wisdom teeth are those that are not able to fully erupt through the gums. It is a very common condition, and the number one reason that wisdom teeth end up needing removal. In fact, 9 out of 10 people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth.

Dry socket is a temporary complication that arises when a blood clot becomes dislodged from the extraction site, exposing tissue. The condition can be painful, but luckily most cases can be avoided by following home-care instructions including the avoidance of straws and smoking.