AZ Oral Facial & Implant Surgery

Thanks to the way school calendars are setup, vacation days and small breaks are scattered throughout this time of year, creating more opportunities for your child to have their wisdom teeth removed without missing classes or sports.

It’s November, and the holidays are upon us! At AZ Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, the holidays mark the beginning of wisdom teeth removal season, when teenagers seem to have the largest amount of free time after their summer break.

What’s The Wisdom Teeth Process?

When you work with us, the first step is a consultation with Board-Certified Oral Surgeon Nish Shah, DMD, MD where together you develop a customized treatment plan for the removal of your wisdom teeth. To get started, contact us at Chandler Location Phone Number 480-814-9500 to schedule a consultation.

Does Everyone Need Their Wisdom Teeth Removed?

According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) everyone should have their wisdom teeth evaluated. Ideally Impacted wisdom teeth should be removed before their root structure is fully developed. In some patients it is as early as 12 or 13, and in others it may be in their early twenties. Early removal of wisdom teeth will prevent problems of infection, cyst formation, crowding, and possible damage to adjacent teeth.

We stand by AAOMS, and our policy regarding evidence-based wisdom tooth extractions aligns with theirs. As your oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Shah provides excellent advice based on a thorough evaluation, advanced imaging, and upfront and honest discussion with you.

How Long Is The Wisdom Teeth Recovery?

Every patient and case is unique, but on average, wisdom teeth extractions require about a 2-3 day recovery. We offer a non-narcotic pain management option to avoid use of narcotic pain medication.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! Take advantage of this time and give yourself plenty of flexibility to have your teenager’s third molars examined and extracted. Plan ahead, and book now before our appointments are filled.

Chandler AZ & San Tan Valley AZ

Parents!

It may just be July, and you’re probably knee deep in summer plans, like an escape to the cooler temps in the pines of Flagstaff, a dip in the swimming holes in Oak Creek Canyon, or just a quick cool off in the nearby Salt River, but school will be back in session before you know it.

And the last thing your child wants to do is have their wisdom teeth out while juggling classes and sports and jobs. So, take just a few days in the midst of the summertime fun to get this important procedure done. It’ll never seem like the ideal time, but here’s why summer is the season for wisdom teeth removals:

Chubby Cheeks

With COVID restrictions in the rearview mirror, so are Zoom classes, and that means in-person, face-to-face, good ol’ fashioned school. And although wisdom teeth removals are routine procedures in our office, the first few days of recovery can leave your child with a little facial swelling and bruising. The last place they want to deal with oral surgery recovering is in AP Physics class or on the football field.

Crooked Teeth

You’ve heard this from us before. When it comes to wisdom teeth, the sooner you get those bad boys out, the better. If your child has had braces, those straightened teeth need space to stay in line. As third molars push their way in and disrupt the lineup, all the years and dollars of orthodontic treatment will be wasted. Don’t let waiting just a few months set you back even more.

Ice Packs and Prescription Meds

The truth is there’s tends to be a wee bit of post-op pain after wisdom teeth removal. Nothing that can’t be managed with ice packs and Tylenol. But who wants to be icing at school? And if your child needs something a little stronger, we prescribe pain meds which should most certainly NOT be taken anywhere but at home.

Time Off

The rule of thumb for a simple wisdom teeth recovery is 3-4 days. That adds up to a decent amount of missed school days. And that’s if everything goes well. We occasionally have patients take up to a week to recover. Summer is the perfect time to kick back and relax rather than worry about missing school and all their other activities.

Summertime Snacks

Chances are some of your friends’ kids have already had their wisdom teeth out, and everyone is talking about the post-op menu: popsicles, smoothies, and milkshakes. And it’s summertime, so your fridge and freezer are probably already stocked with these soft, non-acidic snacks. Make sure to remind your child

not to use a straw because it can disrupt the wound and cause a painful, slow recovery. But otherwise, indulge in all your kid’s favorite flavors and encourage them to enjoy the treats.

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Take advantage of your child’s flexible scheduling during the summer and book a wisdom teeth removal with us today! Get that wisdom teeth removal on the calendar ASAP.

Chandler & San Tan Valley AZ

If your child has braces, you’ve probably been encouraged by your orthodontist to schedule a wisdom teeth removal as soon as the braces are taken off. The last thing you want is for the wisdom teeth to come in and disrupt the perfectly straightened new set of teeth. The slightest possibility of many months and thousands of dollars on braces being all for nothing will cause anyone to jump into action.

But preventing crooked teeth is not the only benefit of having a wisdom teeth removal while you’re young. In fact, there are several crucial reasons you should prioritize having your child’s wisdom teeth extracted during their teens or early twenties.

What happens if I don’t get my wisdom teeth out?

Here’s what might happen to those who wait until they’re older to have their wisdom teeth removed:

Complicated Extractions

The longer you wait, the deeper your wisdom teeth’s roots grow, which makes the procedure to remove them all the more difficult. The ideal time for most extractions is between the ages of 16-20, before the roots are firmly established. At this time, the molars are easier to remove, your child is bound to have a faster recovery.

Gum Disease

The very back of your mouth where wisdom teeth are located is a breeding ground for bacteria. When food gets stuck in between the gums and wisdom teeth, decay caused by bacteria may be a problem, especially when it becomes an infection that leads to gum disease. Untreated gum disease can cause tooth loss. Removing wisdom teeth helps prevent infected gums and missing teeth.

Pain

It’s always best to take care of a dental issue before discomfort sets in. And due to the cozy nature of four more molars trying to squeeze in alongside 28 teeth, painful results may occur. Decay, infections, abscesses, and misalignment are all quite possible when too many teeth try to fit in one jaw. The sooner you have your child’s wisdom teeth removed, the less likely they will develop any dental problem that causes jaw nerve pain and swelling.

Poor mouth function

Impacted or abscessed wisdom teeth cause the jaw to swell. And opening and closing your mouth with a swollen jaw is no fun, and neither is talking and eating.

Cysts

When there’s a shortage of room in your mouth, wisdom teeth often fail to fully erupt (push through the gums), and when this happens, cysts have the potential to develop. Cysts tend to destroy the jawbone and the roots of your teeth.

Serious Health Concerns

Many people are unaware of the tight connection between your oral health and your body. When you get an infection in your gums, the infection and its toxins enter your blood stream, directly affecting your blood vessels and potentially spiking your blood pressure. High blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks are all conditions that can result from untreated infections.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

When you have your wisdom teeth removed, you eliminate concern for all of the aforementioned problems. There are the rare times when patients choose to keep their wisdom teeth because they’ve come in nicely and have not yet caused any harm. If this applies to you, make sure to get regular cleanings so your dentist can keep an eye on them. Wisdom teeth are more susceptible to decay due to their location and can be a source of gum disease, spreading to the rest of your teeth.

Ready to schedule a consultation with us?

Chandler & San Tan Valley AZ

As COVID restrictions lift and teenagers return to in-person school and activities, our schedules seem to have gotten very busy.

Thankfully, summer is on the way.

Consider using the break this summer, while your child is out of school, to have their wisdom teeth removed.

Wondering why?

Why the rush?

Read on to discover why having your teen’s wisdom teeth removed even when they are not causing them issues is almost always the right thing to do.

Wisdom Teeth Removal as a Rite of Passage

You may have noticed that most children have their wisdom teeth removed during their high school and post high school/college years.

The third set of molars are called wisdom teeth because they usually come in during the teen years, as children are entering adulthood and becoming wiser. And if we remove them before the roots are fully established, the extraction process goes much smoother, and your child will face fewer complications in the future.

Why should my teen have their wisdom teeth removed?

The most common question around wisdom teeth removal is why they need to be removed when they feel fine.

Wisdom teeth, themselves, are not the problem.

It’s the damage they can cause to the rest of the mouth that is the real issue.

The longer a person waits, the greater the chances are for a more complicated removal. Studies show that the body will regenerate bone, decreasing the likelihood of severe bone loss, if the wisdom teeth are removed before the age of 26.

We are also wanting to prevent crowding and orthodontic treatment as well as preventing cysts and tumors.

Here are the top 5 reasons for the removal of painless and seemingly unnoticeable wisdom teeth:

Overcrowding and Misalignment

When wisdom teeth begin to erupt, we already have 28 teeth in our mouth, so there isn’t much room left for four more molars because our diets have become very refined and do not deveop the spacing for them.

As they push their way in, they tend to prevent neighboring teeth to erupt properly, and they crowd the mouth, pushing and misaligning other teeth.

Whether your child’s straight smile is due to years of orthodontic treatment or good genes, wisdom teeth can undo their perfect smile.

Gum Infection and Inflammation

When a tooth is partially impacted (a condition that occurs for most people in at least one tooth), it gets stuck in the gums, unable to fully erupt. This normally creates a gap between the

tooth and the gums, a place where bacteria like to set up camp and cause an infection. Other potential dangers include gum disease, inflammation, and tooth decay.

Poor Dental Hygiene

If your teen’s wisdom teeth have come in but their teeth still seem straight, they are undoubtedly tight, and their mouth is crowded, nonetheless.

This makes it extremely difficult for them to care for their teeth properly.

When teeth are too snug and space is at a minimum, flossing becomes nearly impossible. Teeth become prime targets for cavities and plaque buildup when they can’t be brushed adequately.

Tumors and Cysts

When wisdom teeth can’t fully erupt and they are impacted, they can cause tumors and cysts in your jawbone.

Those tumors and cysts can lead to joint pain which would require TMJ treatment, turning a relatively small procedure into a larger, more complicated series of treatments.

Damage to Neighboring Teeth

When wisdom teeth come in, they typically cause more harm to nearby teeth than simply invading their space. Up close and personal, they can contribute to decay and bone loss in the molars that are next to them.

Still not sure?

In addition to leading to serious complications and diseases, impacted wisdom teeth can lead to jaw pain and swelling, inflamed, bleeding, and irritated gums, bad breath, gum and bone loss, and damage to structure in your mouth.

We recommend calling a wisdom teeth expert like Dr. Shah today to discuss your teen’s situation.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. It’s always safer to be proactive rather than reactive. Take advantage of your child’s summer break, and call us, your wisdom teeth specialist, to schedule an evaluation today!

Having your impacted wisdom teeth removed is a serious surgical procedure, and post-operative care is extremely important! Read on for instructions on how to care for your sore mouth, and how to minimize unnecessary pain and complications.

Immediately Following Surgery:
Keep a firm, yet gentle, bite on the gauze packs that have been placed in your mouth to keep them in place. You can remove them after an hour if the bleeding is controlled. If the surgical area continues to bleed, place new gauze for another 30 to 45 minutes.

Do Not:
• Rinse vigorously
• Probe the area
• Smoke (hopefully you don’t!!)
• Participate in strenuous activities

You Can:
• Brush gently (but not the area)
• Begin saltwater rinses 24 hours after surgery (mix 1 tbs of salt with 1 cup of water).
• Make sure to swish gently. These rinses should be done 2-3 times a day, especially after eating.

Enjoy some down-time! Keep activity level to a minimum! Enjoy a day of couch or bed-rest, as being active could result in increased bleeding. Avoid exercise for 3-4 days, and when you do begin exercising again, keep in mind your caloric intake has been reduced so you may feel weaker. There are also some diet restrictions to keep in mind!

Eat nourishing food that takes little effort.
Avoid:
• Extremely hot foods
• Straws (for the first few days)
• Chewing (until tongue sensation has returned)
• Smaller foods that can become stuck in the socket area
• Skipping meals—while eating may seem like a lot of work, you need your nourishment to be able to heal and feel better!

Swelling is a completely normal occurrence. Keep in mind, swelling will usually be at it’s worst in the 2-3 days after surgery. You can minimize swelling by applying a cold compress (covered with a towel) firmly to the cheek next to the surgical area. Apply the pack with 20 minutes on, and 20 minutes off for the first 24-48 hours.

Since no two mouths are alike, do not take advice from friends (even well-intended advice could cause a healing set-back). The advice given to you from your doctor and team are tailored to fit your needs. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns about your recovery. Happy healing!