Who Should Pull Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth issues?

For wisdom tooth extractions, the best option is always an oral surgeon!
So you need to have your wisdom teeth removed. Now what?
These days, most people first turn to the Internet for information, typing in such common queries as “How are wisdom teeth removed” or “Reasons for removing wisdom teeth.” Next, most patients look online for a surgeon or call their local dentist.

But there is one question that often goes unasked, and it may be the most important question of all: Who should perform wisdom tooth removal surgery?

Theoretically, both general dentists and oral surgeons are able to perform wisdom teeth extractions. But only oral surgeons are the true experts on the procedure, having completed a four-year residency, followed by performing wisdom teeth removals daily in their office. There is no substitution for experience.

By contrast, there is no such training in dental school for general dentists and very few places at all where extensive training can be found afterward.

Then there’s the issue of anesthesia. Most people would agree that wisdom teeth extractions are much more comfortable for patients when they are under general anesthesia, rather than just local anesthesia (numbing). And administering general anesthesia is something oral surgeons, not dentists, are thoroughly trained to do.

Unfortunately, a few dentists have been disregarding this fact and administering general anesthesia themselves, occasionally leading to terrible, even tragic, consequences. Anesthesia is perfectly safe when administered by someone who is properly trained, such as an oral surgeon – but it can be deadly if not administered in exactly the right way.

An impacted wisdom tooth should always be dealt with promptly, as it can lead to complications such as pain and infection. But how it is dealt with, and by whom, matters. Any dentist in your neighborhood will be able to refer you to an oral surgeon – someone fully qualified to remove your wisdom teeth while making sure the extraction process is quick, painless and entirely safe.