This procedure is almost as much of rite of passage as getting braces is. Wisdom teeth removal is a sign of growing up. But it’s often associated with quite a bit of pain and discomfort. While any surgery certainly carries the risk of discomfort, wisdom teeth removal is often overblown.

Today, we’re going to walk you through the wisdom teeth removal process. This will help you know exactly what to expect when it’s your turn to have wisdom teeth removed.

Do I need them out?
The first misconception to clear up is that not everyone will need to see a oral surgeon for wisdom teeth removal. The only time they need to come out is if the teeth are impacted, coming in at the wrong angle, or will ruin the alignment of your teeth. Dr. David L. Sykes will work with your dentist to determine if you need yours out.

It’s not always four
A lot of people will try and one-up wisdom tooth stories by talking about how many they had removed. The reality is that you may not always need four of them removed. Some might come in right, or you just may never grow more wisdom teeth than one or two. Only the ones that’ll cause problems will be removed.

It’s not that painful
So long as you follow the directions of the team here at David L. Sykes DMD, LLC in Linwood, New Jersey, the wisdom teeth removal recovery process isn’t as bad as everyone says. The key is to make sure to clean your wounds carefully. This helps you avoid infection, which is where a lot of the pain comes from.