Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Your wisdom teeth are your last set of molars to emerge, and they usually come in when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Because these teeth can become impacted, which means they come in at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is often necessary for them to be removed before they cause pain or crowd your other teeth. At our office in Greenville, TX, Dr. Christopher Emuedue can determine if your wisdom teeth need to be removed and extract them if they do.

 

If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. This flap of skin makes the molar extremely hard to clean, which means you are susceptible to an infection called periocoronitis.

 

When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, either Dr. Emuedue will extract the tooth. Many times all four are removed at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate the patient. It depends on the preference of the doctor and patient, as well as how far the wisdom tooth has emerged. After an anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue over the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured.

 

After surgery, rest is required. You will also need to change the gauze applied to the incision every couple hours.

Intraoral Camera

Here in Greenville, TX, our dentist, Dr. Christopher Emuedue, likes to incorporate modern dental technology in all of the services he provides. For dental check-ups and examinations, he uses an intraoral camera, which is a small device that enables him to provide effective diagnostics, along with x-rays and other diagnostic tools.

 

One of the reasons the intraoral camera works so well is because it is a small, handheld device that can easily see different angles inside the patient’s mouth. It lets Dr. Emuedue look for warning signs of problems developing, ranging from infections or impacted teeth to gum disease. The intraoral camera is comfortable for our patients and can be done quickly. Its use is followed by showing digital dental images to provide education to the patient.

 

We use the intraoral camera in the following ways:

 

1. The wand-shaped device has a lens that can autofocus on any of the patient’s teeth and gums.

2. We dry a tooth prior to taking an image, followed by pointing the tip of the camera to the tooth.

3. It quickly takes a high-definition picture with auto focus, and sends the digital image to a nearby computer.

4. In just a few minutes, we can get images of any worrisome areas of the mouth.

 

Visit Greenville Family Dentistry or call us at 903-455-6701 if you are interested in getting a dental exam with the use of the intraoral camera.