Wisdom Teeth Removal and Recovery During Orthodontics
It’s common for patients to wonder when is the best time to get braces. Do they have to get them before their wisdom teeth erupt? Do I Have to Remove My Wisdom Teeth for Braces? The answer is much simpler than what you may expect. While wisdom teeth can cause various dental issues, they will not ruin your beautiful smile once they come out, as many people may think. Here are a few answers to the most common wisdom teeth questions and how to deal with their recovery.
Do You Have to Remove Wisdom Teeth for Braces?
No, you don’t have to remove your wisdom teeth for braces, nor do you have to wait until your wisdom teeth develop to start your braces treatment. Firstly, not everyone has wisdom teeth, and everyone who does have them doesn’t always have dental problems because of it. Norwalk Orthodontists will only recommend wisdom teeth extraction in specific situations.
If your wisdom tooth erupts partially or at an angle and you can’t clean it properly, your orthodontist may recommend extraction. Given that they can cause severe pain and infections, you will need an extraction if they don’t erupt at all. Additionally, your Norwalk orthodontist will order an extraction if your wisdom teeth are pressing against other teeth and don’t have enough room to grow into.
Even if your wisdom teeth erupt during your braces treatment and represent an orthodontic problem, orthodontists, in conjunction with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, can remove them without affecting your orthodontic treatment.
Some patients who already have had braces fear that once their wisdom teeth start developing, it will push all the other teeth out of position and throw away the progress made. However, there is no concrete connection between wisdom teeth and teeth misalignment. If you still fear that some movement may be happening, regular checkups with your orthodontist will allow them to identify any problem before it affects your teeth severely.
Can You Get Wisdom Teeth Pulled While Wearing Braces?
Wisdom teeth refer to third molars, which usually erupt during the teenage years or early twenties. These are the years that most people decide to get orthodontic treatment, so they can improve the aesthetic of their changing smile.
Fortunately, the procedure of removing wisdom teeth, if necessary, will not affect your orthodontic treatment. So, the answer is yes, you can get your wisdom teeth pulled while you are wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances.
Tooth extraction can be necessary to avoid several dental issues, such as infection, crowding, or damage to neighboring teeth. This could happen due to limited space in the jaw, and wisdom teeth can grow in misaligned positions or become impacted.
This is why dental professionals recommend managing wisdom teeth in an early stage. Furthermore, they will coordinate orthodontic treatment with wisdom teeth extraction, so you can address all of your dental concerns and prevent interfering with the progress of your braces. In conclusion, tooth extraction can usually be a part of the orthodontic treatment plan to ensure a successful outcome.
Wisdom Teeth Removal For Retainers
Once you achieve the perfect smile, after months or years of dental treatment, your orthodontist will prescribe the use of retainers. These appliances will help to retain your teeth at their new position. However, you need to follow your Norwalk orthodontist’s indications, or you could lose all of the progress you made with braces.
If you are in this phase of your treatment, it is normal to wonder whether you can wear the retainer after tooth removal. Well, you should be able to wear your retainers after wisdom teeth extraction. Nevertheless, we recommend that you consult with your orthodontist. Since they know your specific case, they can give you the correct advice and indications.
You will probably have to wait a few days for your mouth to recover from the extraction procedure, but after this, you can start using your retainers as usual. Remember that the first week of the healing process can be painful or uncomfortable.
Another concern that patients usually have is if they can keep using the same retainer set they had before the extraction. Yes, your retainers should fit even after removing your wisdom teeth because their mold does not include these teeth. Although, if you feel that the retainers don’t fit the new position of your teeth, you should consult your orthodontist so they can make adjustments or give you a completely new one.
How to Use Your Dental Retainers After Tooth Extraction?
After your Norwalk braces treatment, your orthodontist will give you a pair of retainers for you to use. As the name implies, the retainers are meant to retain your teeth at their new position. If you don’t follow your orthodontist’s instructions on how long to use your retainers daily, you can lose all the progress made with braces. If you have retainers and have had to remove your wisdom teeth, you will have to wait around 1 to 3 days for your mouth to recover before using your retainers as usual. The healing process can take up to a week, so don’t worry if it’s still painful or uncomfortable to wear.
Most of the time, your aligners will fit even after removing your wisdom teeth. Clear retainers usually don’t include wisdom teeth in their mold, so you are most likely able to wear the same one even after surgery. For Hawley retainers, however, you may need an adjustment or a completely new one. Whichever retainer you have, make sure to consult with your orthodontist about whether you can keep using it or if you need a new one.
How Long to Recover From Wisdom Tooth Removal
Recovery from wisdom tooth removal can take from 3 to 4 days to a whole week for some people to recover completely. Although you can return to some routine daily activities, you have to restrain yourself from doing exercise, smoking, and drinking from a straw. Of course, the cut your oral surgeon made doesn’t close as fast, so you will have to be careful to avoid infection for the next couple of weeks.
After the surgery, there will be some bleeding, pain, and soreness for the first couple of days. If you are bleeding excessively and continuously, or are suffering from severe pain, call your dental care specialist as soon as possible.
Dental Care After Wisdom Teeth Removal
You’ll want to avoid hard foods the following days after your surgery. It’s best to chew as little as possible until you fully recover. Until then, try to stick to liquids and soft foods like soups, pudding, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, smoothies, etc. Given that your mouth will be much more sensitive during this period, you should also stay away from too hot or cold drinks.
On the first day after the surgery, your orthodontist will most likely recommend you don’t brush your teeth. Instead, rinse the area delicately with water and let it fall out to the sink rather than spit it. Healthline magazine recommends rinsing with a mix of water and salt if you feel that water alone is not enough. Remember to take the pills your orthodontist recommended to you and to follow their instruction carefully if you wish for a speedy recovery.
Do You Regret Having Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
There can be a lot of concerns when your Norwalk orthodontist recommends wisdom teeth removal. But don’t worry! This is a safe and effective procedure that is going to help you to prevent several dental issues and to keep a healthy and attractive smile.
In some cases, the eruption of wisdom teeth should not represent an issue. But sometimes, after the process of examination, the orthodontist may determine that tooth removal is necessary for several reasons that include:
Avoiding Misalign Teeth:
Wisdom teeth may disrupt the order of the teeth if they come out at awkward angles or push against existing teeth. This can result in misaligned teeth, causing crowding or shifting of the other teeth.
It’s important to note that it is not very common to have third molars affecting your dental alignment, but it can happen, especially after patients finish orthodontic treatment.
Extracting Impacted Wisdom Teeth:
Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to several dental issues like gum disease or damage to neighboring teeth. If these problems are not treated properly, they can cause significant discomfort and may compromise the health of the mouth.
Impacted wisdom teeth can also cause dental pockets, which are the perfect spot for gum and dental infections like periodontitis and cavities. Food gets easily stuck in these pockets and becomes a meal for oral bacteria, causing bad breath.
Addressing Space Issues:
There might be cases where the jaw may not have enough space to accommodate these additional teeth properly. As a result, wisdom teeth can become impacted, causing pain and potential dental issues.
The benefits of removing your wisdom teeth include alleviating pain in the jaw and mouth, preventing damage to the teeth, and reducing the possibility of dental infection. Let’s not forget that It can also prevent the need for future dental work and improve the health of your teeth.
It is common for patients to complain about having to get dental procedures in general. This can happen because they feel anxious or unsure due to fear of pain, losing their aligned teeth, or cost concerns, among other reasons. Orthodontists can address these insecurities and help patients to feel more comfortable through communication and explaining the procedures step by step.
After you see the results of the procedures and orthodontic treatment in Norwalk, we assure you that you won’t regret having your wisdom teeth removed!
Are Your Wisdom Teeth Coming In?
If you have noticed that your wisdom teeth are starting to erupt or feel constant pain and pressure on your jaw and mouth, don’t wait to contact us here. We’ll schedule an appointment with you as soon as possible to determine if treatment is necessary or not. Additionally, if you have any questions regarding your wisdom teeth removal recovery here at Westwalk Orthodontic Group, we are more than happy to answer them.