Some people have one, two, or three wisdom teeth instead of all four wisdom teeth, and about a third of the population doesn’t have any wisdom teeth at all!
First, our Downtown Portland dentist will clean and numb the treatment area. We also offer sedation dentistry to ensure you feel safe and comfortable during your wisdom tooth extraction in downtown Portland.
After preparing your mouth, Dr. Zeller will begin removing your wisdom tooth. Depending on the situation, he may simply loosen the tooth and pull it out, or he may need to make an opening in your gums, cut the tooth into pieces, and extract it piece by piece.
Once your tooth has been removed, Dr. Zeller will clean and disinfect the extraction site and suture it shut to ensure that it heals properly. Then, he will repeat this process and continue extracting all of your remaining wisdom teeth.
You’ll be sent home with a set of instructions to follow as you heal. It takes about two weeks to fully recover, but most patients get back to their normal routine within a day or two. As you recover, make sure to come back for any follow-ups scheduled by Dr. Zeller and the team at Five Pines Dental.
If your wisdom tooth has fully erupted from your jaw, a simple extraction can be used. In this process, Dr. Zeller will use a special tool called a dental “elevator” to loosen your wisdom tooth. Then, once it’s loose enough, he will grab it with a pair of dental forceps and pull it out. The entire process usually only takes a few minutes.
If your wisdom teeth have not fully erupted from your jaw, they are “impacted.” This means that a surgical extraction will be necessary to remove them. In this process, Dr. Zeller will create an opening in your gums. Then, he will access the tooth through this opening, and cut it into small pieces. He will extract each piece until the tooth has been completely removed.
Impacted wisdom tooth extractions are more complicated and take longer than simple extractions, but are still the best way to deal with unhealthy wisdom teeth that have not fully emerged from your gums.
It will take about two weeks for you to fully heal from your wisdom tooth extraction. Dr. Zeller will give you some special instructions that you’ll need to follow as you recover. For example, you’ll need to eat soft foods for a while, avoid smoking and using straws, minimize exercise for a few days, and take special precautions when cleaning around the extraction site.
Make sure to follow all of these instructions closely. This will help minimize your risk of complications, and ensure that you can get back to your day-to-day routine quickly after your wisdom tooth extractions in downtown Portland.
555 SW Oak Street, Suite A
Portland, OR 97204
US Bancorp Tower Lobby
Parking validated for the
US Bancorp Plaza and Tower Garages
Monday: 8am-5pm
Tuesday: 8am-5pm
Wednesday: 7am-5pm
Thursday: 7am-5pm
Friday: 8am-5pm
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