Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Wisdom tooth extraction removes one or more third molars. A simple extraction of an erupted tooth is quick; an impacted tooth is removed surgically through the gum. Local anesthesia is usual, with sedation available for surgical cases, and initial healing takes about a week.

Extraction is typically considered when a wisdom tooth is painful, infected, decayed, damaging its neighbor, or positioned so that it cannot erupt cleanly. A panoramic X-ray shows the position of the tooth and its roots relative to nerves and sinuses.

Useful questions for a provider: whether the extraction is simple or surgical, what anesthesia or sedation is used, how many days to allow before flying, and what to do about dry socket or swelling once you have left.