Wisdom Tooth Extractions in Calgary

Wisdom teeth often come in at awkward angles or fail to emerge from the gums fully. They may press against neighbouring molars, potentially causing pain or shifting your other teeth out of alignment. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can trap food and bacteria under a flap of gum tissue, leading to painful infections (pericoronitis) and swelling. In some cases, a cyst can form around an impacted wisdom tooth, potentially damaging the jawbone or adjacent tooth roots. Common signs of wisdom tooth trouble include jaw pain at the back of your mouth, tender or swollen gums around the area where a wisdom tooth is trying to erupt, difficulty opening your mouth, or a bad taste/odour from infection around a partially erupted tooth. Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms yet, dentists often recommend removing wisdom teeth proactively in young adulthood, since the teeth’s roots are not fully formed and the surrounding bone is softer, making extraction easier and recovery faster at that stage.

Our dental team will first conduct an examination and take a panoramic X-ray to evaluate the position of your wisdom teeth. This helps us determine the complexity of the extraction. On the day of the procedure, we ensure you’re comfortable – we will thoroughly numb the area with local anesthesia, and if you’re anxious, we can provide sedation (such as nitrous oxide “laughing gas” or oral sedation) to help you relax.

For an impacted wisdom tooth, a surgical approach is necessary. The dentist will make a small incision in the gum tissue above the tooth. If bone is covering part of the tooth, a tiny amount of bone may be removed to access the tooth. The wisdom tooth may then be sectioned (cut into smaller pieces) to allow removal through a small opening. You may experience pressure or pulling during this process, but you should not feel pain from the anesthesia. Once the tooth (or tooth pieces) is removed, we will clean the area to remove any debris or infected tissue. In many cases, we’ll place a few dissolvable stitches to help the gum heal properly. Simple, non-impacted wisdom tooth extractions are more straightforward and may not require an incision or stitches – the tooth can often be removed like any other extraction if it’s fully erupted.

After the extraction, we will place gauze pads over the sites and have you bite down to help stop bleeding. We’ll provide detailed aftercare instructions before you go home. Expect some swelling and mild discomfort for a few days; this is normal after any surgical tooth extraction. To help with healing, use ice packs on your cheeks for the first 24 hours (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) to reduce swelling, and take any prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication as directed. Stick to soft foods (yogurt, soup, smoothies, mashed potatoes, etc.) for the first couple of days and avoid straws, smoking or any spitting/rinsing-on day one (this protects the blood clot in the socket). Starting the day after surgery, gently rinse the area with warm salt water a few times a day to keep it clean. We will schedule a follow-up visit about a week later to check the sites and remove any non-dissolvable stitches if used.

Removing troublesome wisdom teeth can relieve pain, protect your healthy teeth, and prevent more serious dental issues in the future. If you’re experiencing pain from a wisdom tooth or if you are looking for an extraction, contact our team at Buffalo Run Dental. We will take excellent care of you by providing a safe, comfortable wisdom teeth removal so you can maintain a healthy smile.