Wisdom Teeth Specialist
Advanced Care Dentistry
Cosmetic, General & Specialty Dentistry located in Woodinville, WA
If you don’t have enough room for your wisdom teeth, you can limit your risks of oral health problems by having them removed. Thomas O. Marxen, DDS, MSD, Andrew Keith, DDS, and their team of dental experts at Advanced Care Dentistry provide safe and effective wisdom teeth removal at their state-of-the-art clinic in Woodinville, Washington. To learn more or to start the wisdom teeth extraction process, schedule a consultation with Advanced Care Dentistry by phone or online.
Wisdom Teeth Q&A
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are your third set of molars that typically erupt when you’re in your late teens or early twenties. They were important for our early human ancestors who needed the extra chewing space to properly grind up and digest their food, but modern cooking technology has made them largely unnecessary.
Why might I need to remove my wisdom teeth?
As we’ve evolved, our jaws have gotten smaller, leaving less room for our wisdom teeth. As a result, most wisdom teeth come in crooked or crowded.
In many cases, wisdom teeth get impacted, or stuck underneath the gums. Impacted wisdom teeth can be painful and can cause swelling and tenderness.
If they’ve partially erupted, they can be difficult to keep clean, leaving you susceptible to infections, tooth decay, and gum disease.
When should I remove my wisdom teeth?
If the team at Advanced Care Dentistry determines that you should have your wisdom teeth removed, it’s best to have the procedure done as soon as possible.
The longer you wait, the more formed the tooth’s roots will become, and the bone surrounding the tooth will get denser, too. These factors compound to make the extraction more difficult.
What’s the process for removing wisdom teeth?
Your wisdom teeth extraction begins with a consultation at Advanced Care Dentistry. You and the team discuss your sedation dentistry needs and pick an option that’s best for you (most patients get IV moderate conscious sedation). The team also uses a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and its surrounding tissue.
If your wisdom tooth has fully erupted through your gums, the team can pull it from its socket using a tool called an elevator and forceps.
If it’s stuck under your jawbone, they have to remove a portion of the covering bone before they can extract the tooth. To minimize the size of the opening in your jawbone, your provider cuts the tooth into smaller sections and extracts it piece by piece.
Advanced Care Dentistry also offers L-PRF (Leukocyte- and Plasma-Rich Fibrin) stem cells to regenerate the bone after their wisdom teeth extractions. L-PRF aids in your bone and tissue regeneration, helping you to heal quickly and with less discomfort.
To learn more about wisdom teeth or to start the process of your extraction, call the office or book a visit online.