There was a time when dentists were associated with extreme pain and terror. You will not believe that back in the 18th century, tooth extractions were done without local anesthesia! It was not until the late 18th century when a dentist started using the very first anesthesia, which was cocaine. It yielded unpredictable results, although it was a very risky venture.

Okay, that is not the subject we have for this post. Wisdom tooth and tooth extractions are one of the many common oral surgical procedures that are done these days. And yes, they are done with local anesthesia these days. As a matter of fact, there are two options for your anesthesia, general anesthesia and local anesthesia. And they are very safe also. How many times have you heard people saying that they are on a medical leave?

When somebody goes for a wisdom tooth surgery, 5-7 days are given for a medical leave. This is to allow them to recuperate and also avoid the embarrassment of facing public with a swollen face. Most of the time their senses are perfect and they can move around and do their regular daily activities. They however should be on a soft diet for a while and possibly won’t have that much appetite to eat.

You may either go to an oral maxillofacial surgeon or a regular dental surgeon to get the wisdom tooth removed or for teeth whitening. Both are equally expert in surgery, although the maxillofacial surgeon has a slight advantage due to their advanced training. Cost wise, the oral maxillofacial surgeon will possibly cost more being a specialist.

Wisdom tooth surgery is basically part of a wider scope of surgery known as dento-alveolar surgery. Any surgery involving tooth in the mouth is known as dental alveolar surgery and you can have other teeth that may need surgical removal, other than your wisdom teeth.