The Wisdom Tooth Extraction Process

Since 2018, Christopher C. “Chris” Babcock, DMD, MD, has served as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Louisville Oral Surgery and Dental Implants. One procedure that Dr. Christopher C. Babcock performs is wisdom tooth extraction.

Wisdom teeth grow in the back of the mouth, in both the upper and lower jaws. Extraction may be necessary for adults between 17 and 25 years old or even older, even if the teeth have not emerged from the gums. Extracting wisdom teeth is often performed to prevent complications later in life. Patients with insufficient mouth space to allow healthy wisdom tooth growth or those experiencing pain or tooth problems caused by the wisdom tooth may need the surgery.

The precise preparations, complexity, and length of the surgery differ. Patients may need to stop taking certain medications beforehand and abstain from food and liquids. Patients may receive localized anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia to lessen anxiety and discomfort during the surgery, though local anesthesia and intravenous sedation are most common.