Wisdom Teeth Extraction
What can I expect through the course of my treatment?
Consultation
During the consultation, Dr. Wallace will assess the position of your wisdom teeth to evaluate current or future issues. At this time, an assessment is made related to the difficulty of these extractions as it relates to fees and expected recovery time.
Surgery
Removal can be done under local or conscious sedation as well as under general anesthetic. General Anesthesia will be administered by a network of Certified Medical Anesthesiologists associated with Grand River and St. Mary's hospitals who come to the office to provide patients with excellent care. The use of these Anesthesiologists allows Dr. Wallace to focus on the primary objective of removing your wisdom teeth as quickly and painlessly as possible while ensuring the best treatment outcome.
Post-Operative Care
Expect a follow-up call the day after your surgery as we would like to ensure that your comfortable and taken care of. It may be necessary to return to the office for a post-operative exam.
Where will my surgery take place?
Most surgeries generally occur in Dr. Wallace’s office. In certain cases, a patient’s medical needs may warrant treatment at Grand River Hospital, or St. Mary's Hospital in their out-patient facilities. Patients will be made aware of this during their consultation. Dr. Wallace has full hospital privileges at our regional hospitals.
Dr. Wallace also provides emergency care to patients at these hospitals in order to give back to the Kitchener-Waterloo community as unfortunately there is no funding in Ontario for any Oral Surgeon to take call for a hospital.
Why do we remove Wisdom Teeth?
The unfortunate reality is that many people have only enough room in their mouth to hold 28 teeth. Third molars, more commonly referred to as Wisdom Teeth, often erupt in the mouth during adolescence in a poor position leading to a number of short and long term problems such as;
Swelling/infection (pericoronitis and abscess)
Cavities in the wisdom and adjacent teeth
Jaw Stiffening
Pain/Illness
If left untreated, the following symptoms can result in tumours or cysts around impacted wisdom teeth, resulting in decay of surrounding jaw bone and healthy teeth. For a more detailed explanation, visit the Canadian Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons website for more information.
For the EVEN MORE curious, there is an interesting article from the Discovery Channel related to human evolution and the reduced need for third molars available here.