Here's How Wisdom Teeth Are Removed

Well, this brought back some memories.

No one likes going to the dentist. There's nothing quite like having your jaw opened up under a spotlight while someone probes your gums and teeth with a metal hook to really put a damper on your day. What's worse than that, however, is when you need something more than just a simple cleaning. 

The high-pitched whine of the drill and the smell of burning tooth matter is enough to send even the bravest of souls running for the hills, but even worse than that is the almost inevitable extraction of your wisdom teeth. 

I vividly remember having my wisdom teeth removed. Unlike nearly everyone I know, I had all four removed at once under a local anesthetic: novocaine and nothing more. All four had to be cut out... while I was wide awake. The amount of pressure that was required to break and remove the fragments was unforgettable, but worse than that was the fact that the surgery 1) left a shard of tooth remaining in my gums where it slowly worked its way out and 2) damaged another molar so badly that it is now mostly metal. Thank you, Dr. Feel-Bad.

I healed up and I'm quite glad I had them removed, if only because they would have grown in crooked and my story is great for making my friends cringe. But ever since I've wondered how — exactly — wisdom teeth are removed. Well thanks to the internet, all of my morbidly curious questions have been answered.

This fascinating video was posted to Hashem Al-Ghaili's Science and Nature page on Facebook. It shows just how these teeth are extracted... and why.


We think you'll like this bite-sized video: take a look.

What was YOUR experience like when you had your wisdom teeth pulled? Let us know in the comments below.

