Wisdom Tooth Removal: Cosmetic Dentist or Oral Surgeon

Which dentist do you choose to have your wisdom teeth removed?

Have you ever been to the dentist and was told “You should have your wisdom teeth out!” So now that your wisdom teeth need to be removed which dentist do I go to? A  general dentist (family or cosmetic)? A periodontist? Or an oral surgeon? All 3 options are good options. A periodontist and an oral surgeon are specialized dentists. So which dentist do you go to? The answer to this question will probably depend on both the patient and the dentist involved.

Here are some factors to consider to help you decide.

1. What type of health issues do you have? Are these health issues significant? If so, some patients may choose a dental specialist like an oral surgeon for the extraction of teeth.
2. How involved is your treatment? Are the wisdom teeth abscessed? Are they bony impacted (deep in the jaw bone)?
3. Level of anxiety? Some patients may require sedation for the procedures. All oral surgeons provide the option of sedation so that the procedure can be smooth and easy.

What to look for to help determine the expertise of the dentist.

1. How many wisdom teeth extractions have the dentist performed?
2. How often does the dentist remove wisdom teeth?
3. Has your family or friends had teeth removed by that dentist with a satisfactory result?
4. Are there any video testimonials of wisdom teeth patients treated by the dentist?
5. Are their any reviews on the internet that patients have written? Google, facebook etc.
6. What type of dental training did the dentist receive?

What procedures can a general dentist perform?  General dentist can perform all procedures offered by dentistry including the removal of teeth. So what is an oral surgeon? Removal of teeth (including wisdom teeth) is one of the specialized job descriptions of an oral surgeon. Oral surgeons obtain formal training in a residency hospital based program after completing dental school for 4-6 additional years to master the skill of removing teeth and sedation.   Hence, the most difficult teeth that need to be removed are mostly done by oral surgeons. Furthermore, oral surgeons are formally trained to manage complications from the extraction of teeth. These can include, infection, maxillary sinus issues, bleeding and nerve injury. Removal of teeth can be performed by many dentist. However, if there are complications from the procedure an oral surgeon is trained to handle such complications.

Which option do you go with? It can become confusing. Sometimes your general or family dentist will refer you to a dental specialist such as an oral surgeon or a periodontist to have teeth (including wisdom teeth) removed. Other times your dentist will remove the teeth. Most general dentist are competent at removing teeth.