Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Here at Alexandria Dental Care, we make every effort to save your natural teeth

Here at Alexandria Dental Care, we make every effort to save your natural teeth, but sometimes, teeth need to be extracted to optimize your dental health. Removing wisdom teeth, or third molars, is one of the most common types of oral surgery.

Wisdom teeth can negatively affect your dental health when your jaw is too small to hold them. When this occurs, your bite may be damaged because your other teeth are forced out of alignment. Third molars may also be problematic when they do not emerge from the gums. The result is crowding of your other teeth’s roots, causing misalignment and affecting your bite.

If you are suffering from gum tenderness, pain or swelling, Dr. Lu will take a panoramic X-ray of your wisdom teeth to determine if they must be removed. If she recommends extraction, it is better to have your wisdom teeth removed sooner than later. Often, the procedure is performed on patients who are in their late teenage years or early twenties because the teeth’s roots have not yet fully formed. This makes extraction easier and cuts down on recovery time.

During the extraction, Dr. Lu will numb your teeth and the surrounding areas, then use surgical instruments to remove any bone and tissue that is covering the tooth. Next, she uses extraction instruments to remove the tooth from the socket’s connective tissue. Finally, the tooth is completely removed using dental forceps.

If extraction is necessary, the experienced team at Alexandria Dental Care will provide the most comfortable, safest extraction procedure possible. To make your visit as pain-free and relaxing as possible, Dr. Lu may offer either general anesthesia or heavy sedation. Although the idea of extraction may cause you anxiety, at Alexandria Dental Care you can expect efficient, considerate care from our team from the start of the process through your recovery.