Possible Wisdom Teeth Complications

Now that you and the dentist have determined that you need to have your wisdom teeth removed, you need to prepare for your upcoming oral surgery.  One of the important things to consider before any surgery, is the possible complications.  Wisdom tooth extraction is not exempt from surgery complications; there are five main complications people suffer from while recovering from surgery.  About 3% or less of the people who have their wisdom teeth removed suffer from the following:

  1. Pain and Swelling

While it is expected as a part of the healing process, your mouth and jaw will be sore after surgery and will suffer from inflammation as the body tries to heal.  There is not a standard level of pain or swelling, and people will experience difference levels depending on a number of factors.  Usually where the teeth are located in the jaw, how many teeth were removed, and your health prior to surgery impact how much pain and swelling you experience.  Most people have mild pain and about 15% of people still have severe pain one week after surgery.  Be sure to follow the post-operative instructions and avoid certain foods to ensure that pain is minimal the swelling goes down as fast as possible.

  1. Limited Mouth Opening

Trismus, the limited ability to open your mouth, after surgery is common after extended dental procedures is common for people especially after impacted wisdom tooth extraction.  To relieve this side effect, the dentist may suggest heating pads and pain medication in most circumstances and muscle relaxants and jaw opening devices in more extreme cases.

  1. Excessive Bleeding

On the first day of recovery, about 31% of people continue to bleed and the amount of bleeding can vary based on the size and positioning of the tooth before the dentist removed it.  The larger the tooth and if the tooth is impacted below bone, the wound will continue to bleed more as the wound is larger.  The best way to minimize bleeding and promote healing, you should avoid smoking, using a straw, exercising vigorously and rinsing your mouth before instructed by the dentist.

  1. Alveolar Osteitis or Dry Socket

After the dentist extracts your wisdom tooth, your body will form a blood clot as a way to heal the wound.  The blood clot is healthy and helps keep the wound moist and covered.  Should the blood clot become dislodged or knocked out of the socket, the wound will develop dry socket or alveolar osteitis.  It is more common to experience this on your lower jaw and smokers are more likely to suffer from this as a result of smoking cigarettes.  If you are worried that you are one of the 3% of the people who develop dry sockets, you will likely experience throbbing pain, unpleasant smells from the wound or unpleasant tastes near the wound.  The dentist can help clean the wound and place a medicated dressing in the extraction site which can be changed regularly while it heals.

  1. Lip Numbness

Due to the location of the teeth in your jaw, the inferior alveolar nerve is able to be damaged in the extraction process. For some people, this problem starts after the procedure and can unexpectedly resolve itself within two months.  The dentist can talk to you about the possible damage to your nerve based on the exact location of your teeth.

More on Wisdom Teeth Removal : Impacted Wisdom Teeth