Click on any of these topics for detailed information wisdom teeth oral surgeon oral surgery oral maxillofacial surgery wisdom tooth wisdom tooth extraction wisdom tooth pain dental surgery wisdom tooth removal

Oral Surgery: The Dreaded Wisdom Tooth Removal Procedure

Wisdom teeth, those third molars at the very back of our mouths, are so named because they generally erupt during late adolescence and early adulthood. When properly positioned they can be a valuable asset to us. When the jaw is not large enough to accommodate these wisdom teeth, they can cause dental problems, such as infection, requiring wisdom tooth removal.

Read more consumer articles ...

Oral Surgery - Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Surgeons and Wisdom Tooth Removal	Wisdom Teeth, When Push Comes To Shove in Your Child's Mouth
What Is A Dry Socket?	Does a Dental Biopsy in My Mouth Mean I Have Oral Cancer?

Oral Surgery Guidelines To Speed Healing And Recovery After Wisdom Tooth Extraction or Removal

After oral surgery, it is important to follow all the instructions provided by your oral surgeon or wisdom tooth dentist. Here are some guidelines to speed your recovery and healing.

Read more clinical articles ...

Oral Surgery For Jaw Disorders and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction - TMJ	Corrective Oral Surgery
Jaw Fractures and the Healing Process

Impacted wisdom teeth no longer a problem	Periodontal Disease and Wisdom Teeth
Four wisdoms you don’t need	Wisdom teeth: Is it wise to remove them?
Dental Health: Oral Surgery	Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Read more articles summaries...

Call for Articles

1stWisdomTeeth.com is always looking for interesting and relevant articles to publish on this website. If you are the author of a clinical or consumer article on the subject of wisdom teeth or oral surgery please use our online form to submit your article for consideration.

We also recommend visiting these other top dental resources.

Do All Dentists Refer Wisdom Tooth Extractions to Oral Surgeons?

In our most recent survey, we asked dentists what percentage of wisdom tooth removals they refer to an oral surgeon. Overall, half of our dentist respondents refer out 80% or more third molar extractions. Some dentists were grateful to be rid of most or all wisdom teeth cases, while other dentists prefer to refer only the most complicated cases.

Check our Survey Pages for complete results.

Wisdom Teeth Dentistry Terms

Dry Socket - the most common post-operative complication from tooth extractions, delays the normal healing process and results when the newly formed blood clot in the extraction site does not form correctly or is prematurely lost. The blood clot lays the foundation for new tissue and bone to develop over a two-month healing process.

Extraction - the removal of teeth.

Oral Surgery - surgery of the mouth.

Dr. Alan Marx

"We are truly a comprehensive practice with the ability to care for almost all of your possible dental needs. We are prompt and timely giving you that special attention.

"My team and I will give you the personalized attention you deserve by listening to your needs and answering all your questions."

Do you have a question about Wisdom Teeth Dentistry?

Our Ask the Doctor Blog is the perfect place to post your questions or concerns about oral surgery, wisdom tooth removal or different treatment options. Each month a new dental expert is available to help you better understand your dental needs.

"I had one wisdom tooth that started to bother me a little. Within weeks I was in excruciating pain because the tooth was growing horizontally into my molar. I had no choice, this was an emergency and it had to come out." Colleen, Calif.

"When I was 19 years old and getting ready to go to Brazil for two years with the Peace Corp, the government doctors wanted me to have my wisdom teeth extracted before I left. Fortunately, they let me use my home town dentist. He was great. Not only did he remove my wisdom teeth, but made sure everything else in my mouth was good to go for the next two years. While I didn't feel anything during the procedure, my jaw was a little sore the next day. When the government doctor reviewed my dentistry, he commented that mine was the best job he had seen in recent history. All I can tell you is that it pays to get the right dentist!" Jim, California

"I had my wisdom teeth extracted when I was a little bit older than most because they really were not bothering me. Actually, I only had lowers, so I was lucky in that regard. I was in my mid-twenties and was having some other work done and after a consultation with the doctor, we decided it was about time to take them out. Even though one was almost horizontal and leaning towards the tooth in front of it, the procedure went flawlessly." Anita, California

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are third molars. They generally appear in your mounth between the ages of 17 and 24 (although they may appear when you're older, younger, or may not appear at all).

They are commonly removed when they affect other teeth. This impaction is colloquially known as "coming in sideways." Some experts think that wisdom teeth were useful when it was common for humans to lose several teeth to decay by the age when these teeth appear. Most of us have four wisdom teeth. It is not unusual to have more or fewer.

Oral Surgeon

Oral Surgeon - Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMS) are initially qualified in dentistry (they have a full 3 or 4 year dental degree) and have undergone a further 4-6 years of specialty surgical training.

OMS is universally recognized as a specialty of dentistry. An oral surgeon also may choose to undergo further training in a 1 or 2 year fellowship to expand the scope of practice to areas such as head and neck cancer, cosmetics, or craniomaxillofacial surgery. While many oral surgeons focus their parctices on head and neck cancers, TMJ disorders and fixing fractured jaws, their bread and butter procedure is the removal of wisdom teeth.

Tooth Extractions

Teeth can be extracted by either a general dentist or an oral surgeon. Most simple procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction are done by general dentists. More complicated cases like impacted or guried teeth are often referred to an oral surgeon.