wisdom tooth extraction Archives - West Seneca Dentist

Is It Possible to Avoid General Anesthesia with Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Posted on September 23, 2023 by writeradmin.

My daughter is 20 years old and needs to have her wisdom teeth extracted. One of them is partially under the bone. Our dentist has not given us much information on this and just said to schedule the appointment. I’m assuming that some type of sedative has to be used. Does she need the type of sedation that they do in hospitals during surgery or is there a less scary one?

Cassie

Dear Cassie,

Bear in mind that I have not examined your daughter myself or seen any diagnostics, so I don’t have all the information. However, unless your dentist said their were some complicating factors other than just being partially under the bone, then I don’t think she will need anything more than oral conscious sedation.

Oral conscious sedation is administered by a pill but is still very strong. She will likely just sleep through the entire procedure. However, she is still conscious and can stay awake if she really wants to. Most people just prefer to sleep.

I am not too worried about the bone issue. At your daughter’s age, the bone is still pliable. There is not much cementum accumlation on the roots of the teeth at this age either. She’s actually in a sweet spot when it comes to extracting wisdom teeth.

As I am sure you know and why you expressed concern, there are added risks with general anesthesia. If she doesn’t need it, and I really don’t think she does, then you will be fine with just getting the oral conscious sedation. If you are still concerned, you can look for a dentist who is associated with DOCS, which is the Oral Conscious Sedation Organization. They provide special training for dentists. This will ensure your daughter is in the safest hands.

This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.

Will Insurance Cover a Sedation Dentist?

Posted on February 7, 2023 by writeradmin.

I need to have my wisdom teeth extracted, as well as have two fillings and one dental crown placed. My dentist suggested I see a sedation dentist to have the wisdom teeth done and then return to him for the remainder of the work. Is it possible a sedation dentist can just do all of it so I can get it all done at once or will I need to go to two separate offices? Also, will insurance cover the sedation?

Bethany

Dear Bethany,

These are great questions. Let’s start with will a sedation dentist be able to do all of it. A lot of that will depend on whether or not you are going to an oral surgeon for your wisdom teeth removal or a general dentist. Oral surgeons are typically not able (or willing) to do the general dental work but they will do the wisdom tooth removal. They also will have an anesthesiologist present, which your insurance will cover, at least in part.

If you go to a general dentist, they can do all the work, but whether or not your insurance will cover it depends completely on your plan. Most dental offices have a business manager who is well-versed in what insurance companies will or will not cover. You could set up a consultation with them and see what information they can give you on your specific insurance plan.

Dentists offer a variety of dental sedation options. I recommend looking for someone who offers oral conscious sedation. This will relax you enough that you will completely sleep through the procedure. The caveat to that is you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment, as well as stay with you for a few hours at home until you are lucid and steady on your feet. I would plan on relaxing on the couch for he majority of the day and maybe binging some of your favorite shows.

Whether or not a dentist will do all of it at once, will depend on the extensiveness of the work you need to be done. When you do your consultation, you can go over all of that, and the dentist will advise you on what will be most useful to you.

This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.

Gums Are Still Bleeding

Posted on April 1, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had my wisdom teeth out close to ten years ago. They’ve been sensitive ever since. Even now, when I brush them they still bleed. My dentist has looked at everything and taken x-rays. He says there are not any pockets and he doesn’t know why this is happening. Have you seen this before?

Livie

Dear Livie,

It sounds to me like this has been bothering you from the beginning. My guess is that you’ve been babying this area because of the sensitivity. This will leave plaque in the area which will inflame your gums and eventually cause bleeding and gum disease. If gum disease is not treated, it will spread and get worse. Eventually, you can lose more teeth as a result. When gum disease gets bad enough, your teeth will just start to fall out.

What you need to do is stop babying the area. You don’t have to be rough about it and cause pain. Be gentle, but make sure you are brushing it consistently. Make sure your dentist is checking for gum disease, even just the beginning of gum disease. Some dentists don’t really examine for this every time the way they should.

I bet you’ll find this clears up with you cleaning it more regularly. I don’t think it has anything to do with the extraction of your wisdom teeth. They’ve been out for ten years, so everything has been rebuilt. It is like you’ve never even had a tooth there.

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