Wisdom teeth grow crookedly, do you need surgery?

Does an impacted tooth require surgery?

Impacted teeth must receive special treatment from an oral surgeon. One of the treatments or management of impacted teeth is an odontectomy procedure, or what people often call wisdom tooth surgery. Odontectomy can be carried out using two methods, namely local anesthesia, which can be done in an outpatient clinic, but for patients with dental conditions who have a high level of difficulty carrying out the operation, it can be done using the general anesthesia method, which must be done in a hospital, in the operating room, or in inpatient care. This depends on the position of the teeth, the level of inclination, and the level of difficulty in the process.

Treatment of impacted teeth can be done in two ways:

1. Preventive action: namely, preventive action, namely,  the removal or removal of wisdom teeth, which is carried out before the patient experiences complaints. After a clinical and radiographic examination by a doctor, it has been confirmed that the patient's teeth are growing imperfectly or crookedly, so they can be extracted before the patient experiences complaints as a preventive measure.
2. Curative Action: Action taken because the patient has complained of pain accompanied by swelling and even infection.

What happens if you delay the removal of impacted wisdom teeth?
If it is confirmed that the tooth is in a bad position and there are indications for extraction, it must be extracted immediately. Delaying action or examination will only delay and prolong the pain. In some cases, impacted teeth cannot grow because they do not have a place to grow, pushing against neighboring teeth, which can result in damage to other teeth. Apart from that, delaying the removal of impacted wisdom teeth can also cause infections ranging from abscesses to swelling, facial asymmetry, and, worse, oral cysts. Before impacted teeth cause complex problems, management should be carried out as early as possible.

Complications that occur when wisdom teeth are removed

Odontectomy is a safe surgical procedure that meets operational standards for procedures carried out by dentists who specialize in oral surgery. However, there are several things that often happen after an odontectomy, including:

1. Swelling is normal, but this is due to inflammation after surgery. Swelling usually lasts 4-5 days and will shrink on its own as healing occurs.
2. Mild nerve injury to the lower jaw, but this is very rare. This occurs when the position of the teeth is close to vital structures. But of course, the doctor will carry out the action very carefully and very safely so that these complications do not occur.

Prevention of Impacted Teeth

1. Have regular check-ups with the dentist at least once every 6 months.
2. For children aged 5–6 years and over who are in the process of changing their teeth, if a milk tooth is loose and must be removed, it must be removed immediately so that it does not cause persistence.
3. Maintain healthy teeth and mouths so that no teeth are lost prematurely and teeth can grow according to the guide.
4. If you feel a complaint, immediately have your teeth checked at least by the nearest general dentist to get the right treatment as early as possible.

Listen to drg. Muhammad Syakuran, Sp.BM, FICS about tooth impaction on OBSERVASI HERMINA on the Hermina Hospitals Youtube Channel (click here).