March 4, 2022

Do you really need to get your wisdom teeth extracted? :DR.DEBBIE

The most common question from patients regarding wisdom teeth

“Dr, do I really need to remove all my wisdom teeth? I am really afraid of surgery! “

The answer is : yes and no. It really depends on the eruption of the 3rd molars / wisdom teeth and whether it would have significant impact on the adjacent teeth.

A case example I would like to share is Miss Lena here, who came to visit us at Klinik Pergigian Fauziah and complained of food lodgement between her left 2nd molar and wisdom tooth. Upon examination, the left wisdom tooth is tilted against the 2nd molar, creating a space which food can get easily stuck there.

Based on the x-ray taken, we can see that both left and right wisdom teeth are tilted against the 2nd molars and it caused dental caries on the underside of both 2nd molars as proper oral hygiene can’t be maintained. Bone loss is also noted. The decay and bone loss might progress even further if the wisdom teeth are not removed. Miss Lena agreed to undergo minor oral surgery to remove the left wisdom tooth first upon my advise.

Local anesthesia was given to numb the area , then the left wisdom tooth was split in half to aid in removal. The surgery took up almost an hour and Miss Lena did not experience any pain during the procedure. She was given medications afterwards and scheduled for sutures removal in 1 week time.