general dentistry
Extractions and wisdom teeth, without the dread.
Extraction is dentistry's plan B — we save teeth when saving is honest, and remove them when it isn't. Wisdom teeth are the frequent exception: molars that arrive last to a mouth that's already full, and often better gone before they cause the crowding, cavities, and 2am pages of this website's emergency section.
Either way, the pattern holds: numb and verified numb, the raise-your-hand stop rule, and the reasoning shown on the X-ray before you consent to anything.
The wisdom-teeth conversation
Not every wisdom tooth needs to go — fully erupted, cleanable ones can stay for life, and we'll say so. Removal earns its case when they're impacted, pressing neighbors, trapping food where a brush can't follow, or repeatedly inflaming the gum over them.
For students, timing is strategy: summer break beats the school-year scramble, with recovery days that cost nothing academically. Western Albemarle families have June and July figured out — the calendar fills accordingly, so plan a few weeks ahead.
Aftercare that actually prevents dry socket
The first 24 hours protect the clot: gauze pressure, then no straws, no spitting, no smoking — suction is the enemy. Soft food, gentle rinsing from day two, and ibuprofen per the label handle most recoveries.
Throbbing that spikes on day two or three instead of fading is the dry-socket signature: call, come in, and it's treated the same visit. Some extractions are better done by an oral surgeon — when yours is, you'll hear it at the exam, with the referral arranged for you.
Aftercare: the first 72 hours
A stable blood clot at the extraction site is the foundation of smooth healing. Bite firmly on the gauze pad for 30 to 45 minutes after your appointment; if oozing continues, fold a fresh piece, position it over the site, and hold steady pressure for another 30 minutes.
For the first 72 hours, protect the clot: no vigorous rinsing or forceful spitting, no drinking through a straw, no smoking or alcohol, and keep the brush away from the site itself. Take it easy for the first 24 hours. Swelling usually peaks around 48 hours — an ice pack on the cheek in 20-minute intervals keeps it manageable. Soft foods the first day, then back to normal as comfort allows, and gentle brushing everywhere else after 24 hours.
Call us immediately for heavy bleeding that does not stop, severe pain that medication does not touch, swelling that worsens after the third day, or any reaction to a prescribed drug.
Questions we hear in the chair
- Do wisdom teeth always need to come out?
- No — that reflex belongs to another era. Erupted, aligned, cleanable wisdom teeth can stay. The X-ray and exam make it a case-by-case answer, and you'll hear the honest one.
- How long is recovery?
- Simple extractions: a day or two of taking it easy. Impacted wisdom teeth: plan on a long weekend of soft food and ibuprofen. Teenagers, annoyingly, bounce back fastest.
- Will I be awake?
- Local anesthetic — numb and awake — handles most extractions comfortably. If the exam says your case belongs with an oral surgeon and deeper sedation, that's the plan you'll get, arranged by us.
- What replaces the tooth afterward?
- For wisdom teeth: nothing — that's the point. For any other tooth, the gap gets a plan before you leave: implant, bridge, or deliberate watchful waiting, each priced honestly.
Clinical content reviewed by Dr. Marissa DeAngelis, Senior Dentist.
Serving Crozet for 50+ years. At least two full-time doctors in the building, Monday through Friday.