Dr Murnane Specialises in the removal of wisdom teeth.
Treatment and Consultation is available on the same day. So you can be in and out of our clinic within 90 minutes, treatment completed.
Our clinic is in Nenagh, 20 minutes from Limerick. Lots of parking and no traffic.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth at the back of your mouth. Frequently there isn’t enough room for your wisdom teeth to erupt fully which makes them difficult to clean.
Wisdom teeth which are not cleaned become infected, they rot or the tooth in front of the wisdom tooth will rot. Unfortunately when this happens wisdom tooth now requires extraction.
This x -ray shows an Impacted Wisdom Tooth. It is unable to erupt as the teeth in front have taken all the space.
Therfore your wisdom teeth are unable to erupt into your mouth, they have become Impacted !
Common Reasons for removing Wisdom Teeth
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/symptoms-causes/syc-20373808
When a wisdom tooth is impacted it will often become difficult to clean resulting it it becoming infected.
Infections can be very sore! Often might even feel pain in nearby teeth, or pain in the ear on that side of your face. This infection is known as ‘pericoronitis’. When left untreated, severe infections may sometimes occur which can require a hospital stay and surgery.
Reasons for removal:
- Infection around a wisdom tooth.
- Decayed in a wisdom tooth.
- Decay in the neighbouring teeth.
- You may need space for braces (orthodontics).
- Cysts can develop around your wisdom teeth.
- Gum disease may develop around wisdom teeth and this may spread to other teeth.
- If you are travelling abroad, especially to areas without reliable and safe healthcare it is advisable to have your wisdom teeth removed.
- Members of the armed forces need their wisdom teeth removed to be declared fit for active service over seas.
- While you are having one wisdom tooth removed other wisdom teeth may be removed at the same time for convenience.
WHEN ARE WISDOM TEETH REMOVED ?
Your wisdom teeth are normally removed after symptoms develop, frequently in your 20’s. However some wisdom teeth don’t give symptoms until later in life.
When wisdom teeth are very difficult to clean and constantly trapping food they are removed to prevent symptoms developing.
On occasions they may be removed in the late teens as part of braces treatment.
The deciding factor is”are your wisdom teeth causing problems?” If the answer is yes, then you should remove them.
Normally your dentist will try to control the symptoms of infection before removing your wisdom teeth. However on many occasions the only means to alleviate pain or control infection is to remove your wisdom teeth.
Treatment Options with Wisdom Teeth.
The only treatment options available are to keep your teeth as clean as possible to prevent infection and decay.
OR
To take out or remove your wisdom teeth.
How are wisdom teeth removed?
There are 2 methods of removing wisdom teeth and we will try to keep this bit simple
1. Elevation Of Wisdom Teeth
If a tooth is not deeply impacted it will often Elevate Out. This means the surgeon presses down very firmly beside the tooth causing the tooth to rises up out of the socket.
This means you will have minimal post operative pain, almost no swelling and usually no sutures or stitches will be needed.
Elevating a wisdom tooth will usually take less than a minute and you will be able to resume normal activity the next day if you wish. While you will be sore and tender it will not be excessive.
2. Surgical Removal Of Wisdom Teeth
If your tooth cannot be elevated, it must be Surgically Removed or cut out. When performed correctly the surgical removal of a wisdom tooth will take between 7 to 8 minutes.
Sutures
Several dissolving sutures are often placed in the gum after and you should expect to have a swollen cheek for about one week after.
Time off
You will often need several days off work and will normally need painkillers and antibiotics for several days after.
Sedation
Surgical extractions are best carried out under sedation for your comfort. While you can have your wisdom teeth removed while you are awake a surgical extraction involves lifting the gum, cutting some bone away and often cutting up the tooth and this can be uncomfortable off putting.
If you are awake for the extraction, it will feel like you are having a large filling at the back of your mouth. You should expect an extraction to be uncomfortable as a result of the pressures applied, but not painful.
WHERE ARE WISDOM TEETH REMOVED ?
It is considered best practice today to remove wisdom teeth in a dental office setting either while you are awake, with your jaw numb or while sedated. (Traditionally wisdom teeth were removed under general anaesthetic in a hospital.)
Many dentists will safely remove easier wisdom teeth and only refer the more difficult wisdom teeth to an Oral Surgeon for removal.
Sedation and Wisdom Teeth
In a modern dental practice your wisdom teeth will be extracted under sedation. This allows quick access to treatment. It avoids long and costly hospital visits also, sedation avoids the risks involved with general anaesthetic.
Recovery
Recovery times after sedation are much shorter than after a general anaesthetic and as a result you can expect you to be back on your feet and ready to go home after about one hour.
There are normally few if any post operative ill effects from sedation (unlike general anaesthetic) apart from feeling tired for a while.
If your dentist or surgeon is offering general anaesthetic for the removal of a tooth you should ask why !! And ask why sedation, the safer alternative is not their first choice!
https://www.webmd.com
Side Effects of Removing Wisdom Teeth
Numb Lip, Chin, Cheek and or Tongue
The nerve to your lower lip and cheek and tongue runs close to your lower wisdom teeth.
All lower wisdom teeth are close to this nerve and some wisdom teeth may actually be touching this nerve.
As a consequence the removal of wisdom teeth from the lower jaw may result in bruising to this nerve. As a consequence of this bruising you may have a numb feeling in your lip, chin, cheek or tongue on that side of your mouth after having a wisdom tooth removed.
While this numb feeling will not alter your appearance in any way, this sltered feeling usually lasts between 3 to 6 months before resolving, however if the altered feeling persists beyond 2 years it must be considered permanent.
BLEEDING
While you should expect some slight oozing after an extraction you don’t want perfume or persistent bleeding. Therefore since physical activity often results in bleeding it’s important to avoid excessive activity on the day of your extraction.
It’s advised that you go straight home and relax. You need to avoid using your mouth as much as possible as to do so may result in bleeding. However you may drink sips of cool fluid immediately and have liquid food such as soup or a yogurt after about one hour and finally you can eat soft sloppy food once the numb feeling has left your face after about 4 hours.
STOPPING BLEEDING
You may experience some bleeding after an extraction. Normally because you’ve disturbed the blood clot by being too active or chewing on the area. Therefore relax, try to remain calm, some bleeding is normal as a result of any extraction. It’s important that you sit down and rest, roll a clean tissue or cotton wool into a pad about the size of your finger, place it over the socket and bite on it for ten minutes. If the persistent bleeding do not hesitate to contact us.
PAIN
You will have some pain after any extraction. Dr Murnane will have given you a pain killer before your extraction and therefore you shouldn’t need another painkiller until much later that night.
In the following days please take the painkiller you would normally use on a regular basis. This should keep you comfortable. However, if you prefer you may use the painkillers prescribed by Dr Murnane.
Its important to emphasise you must read the instructions that accompany your painkillers and take your painkiller on a regular basis to increase its effect.
SWELLING
You will have some swelling after your wisdom tooth extraction. The more work required to remove your wisdom teeth the more swelling you will get. Your swelling will normally be at its worst the following morning.
The swelling and pain will usually resolve over the next 4 to 6 days.
Only an infection will stop your swelling from resolving. Therefore you must make every effort to prevent infection.
DRY SOCKET
Dry Socket is an intense pain which may occur following any extraction. Frequently the pain normally starts about 3 days after an extraction. Unfortunately the pain will not be eased by painkillers and will typically last about 2 weeks but can last much longer.
While there is no effective treatment for dry socket clove oil poured into the socket will relieve or ease symptoms. Thankfully a Dry socket will run a course and resolve after 10 days or so.
Dry socket does run in families and unfortunately you cannot predict nor stop a dry socket from developing.
Treatment of Dry Socket
Keep your mouth clean with salty water and Corsodyl mouth wash. Frequent applications of Clove oil will ease, but not eliminate the pain of a dry socket.
Ulceration
Ulceration of the skin of your mouth may occur after the removal of wisdom tooth. Unfortunately the ulceration is often quiet painful but will resolve completely if you keep the area clean with warm salty mouth washes.
Difflam Mouth Wash washed around the sore area will be helpful at easing the pain of ulcers.
You should use Warm salty water as a mouth wash will keep your ulcers clean.
Fracture of Teeth/ Fillings
Teeth with large fillings and crowns are weak.
These weak teeth can and do break during extractions as a result of the stresses transmitted through the area.
Unfortunately this is a relatively common side effect and is the result of past decay which has weakened your tooth. Therefore when you have recovered it is important that you return to your dentist to have the tooth fixed.
Loose Teeth
Some loosening of teeth which sit beside an extraction is to be expected. In most instances your teeth will firm up in several weeks if left alone and no pressure is applied to them.
Area Covered
Dr Murnane is based in Nenagh, 20 minutes from Limerick. We remove wisdom teeth and provide a service for surgical extractions to patients from Thurles, Limerick, Ennis, Tipperary town and much further afield.
Trestment is all in one session, Consultation and treatment in one visit.