Wisdom Teeth Removal & Tooth Extractions

After check in at our front desk, one of our highly trained assistants will take you to a treatment suite. If you only desire to be numbed and have a tooth removed, they will review treatment and post op instructions with you, and answer any questions you may have.  

Dr. Palmquist will then numb the area where the tooth is to be removed, generally giving the local anesthetic 8-10 minutes to ensure that everything is actually numb before removing the tooth.  A numb lip or numb tongue is a sign that the tooth may be numb but is not a guarantee, so we use cold testing of teeth in the area.  No cold sensation on teeth is the best indicator of numbness. Once numbness is confirmed, the tooth is removed. 

Most extractions of non-wisdom teeth take less than a couple minutes once numbed, and we routinely find most of the appointment time is consumed waiting for the local anesthetic to work AND confirming that it has worked before proceeding with any surgery.

If you have decided to take advantage of IV sedation, the appointment is very similar from check-in to chair. Once in the surgical suite, the CRNA will review your health history while an assistant places monitors on you to record breathing, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide output. The CRNA will then start an IV in your hand or arm. Once placed they will drift you off to sleep. Only after you are asleep will Dr. Palmquist numb your mouth and remove the select tooth or teeth. You will not awake until the procedure is complete as the CRNA closely monitors you to ensure you stay asleep. Most people wake up 2-8 minutes after we are completely done.

If you are not a patient of record and simply were referred to us to have a tooth removed, or you were referred to an oral surgeons office but want a more affordable option, you can bring in any referral form, even if it's for another office. We do NOT charge for a consultation—just bring in your referral form from another office and we will complete the treatment. As a general dentistry office, our fees are more affordable than an oral surgeons office. 

We have found that adults that need wisdom teeth removed over the age of 28 tend to have a higher incidence of post op pain, infection, and take longer to heal. This is why we advocate removal at younger age.

We advocate removal of wisdom teeth after root formation start, which can range in age from 14-21. Our typical patient ages for this procedure are 15-26 years old.

This means the teeth are underneath the tissue or within the bone and are not likely to fully come through.

No, most people have four, but Dr. Palmquist has removed as many as seven!

1. Simple
2. Surgical
3. Tissue Impacted
4. Bone Impacted

Patients fall in a deeply sedated state where they feel nothing, hear nothing, and remember nothing.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist  will administer all the anesthesia and constantly monitors the patient at all times. This allows Dr. Palmquist to solely focus on the surgery—just like you would find in an operating room at a hospital.

All appointments are 60 minutes, but actual time varies depending on degree of impaction. From the patient’s perspective, it will seem like just a few minutes have passed—as you fall asleep, wake up, and everything is done.