Wisdom Teeth
Removal
Safe. Comfortable. Expert Care.
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to emerge in the back of your mouth. When there isn't enough space, this can lead to pain, infection, and other dental problems.
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Swift Recovery.
Common Procedure
One of the most frequently performed oral surgeries.
Prevent Problems
Avoid crowding, infection, and damage to adjacent teeth.
IV Sedation Options
Multiple anesthesia options for your comfort.
Quick Recovery
Most patients recover within a few days.
Wisdom Teeth Removal in White Plains & Waldorf, MD
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to emerge at the back of the mouth, usually in the late teens or early twenties. Some people have enough room for them to come through cleanly. Many do not. When the jaw cannot accommodate them, the teeth become impacted — trapped against bone, gum or the neighboring molar — and that is when pain, infection and damage tend to follow.
At Charles County Surgical Arts in White Plains, MD, Dr. Ryan Look and Dr. John McElveen perform wisdom teeth extractions every week for patients across Charles County, including Waldorf, La Plata and Brandywine, as well as neighboring St. Mary's and Calvert counties. As board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons, they are trained to manage straightforward extractions and complex impactions alike, including teeth positioned close to the inferior alveolar nerve, where careful planning matters most.
When Is Wisdom Teeth Removal Recommended?
Not every wisdom tooth needs to come out. Removal is generally advised when one or more of the following applies:
- Impaction: The tooth is trapped in the jawbone or gum, angled sideways, or fully submerged, where it can damage the adjacent molar.
- Crowding: Pressure from an erupting third molar pushes the neighboring teeth out of alignment, which can undo orthodontic work.
- Recurring pain: Persistent aching at the back of the jaw, headaches or sensitivity that keeps returning.
- Infection: Partially erupted teeth trap food and bacteria under a flap of gum, causing pericoronitis — swelling, bad taste and difficulty opening the mouth.
- Decay or gum disease: Third molars sit far back and are hard to clean, so they decay more readily than other teeth.
- Cysts: A fluid-filled sac can form around an impacted tooth and, left alone, may erode surrounding bone.
Are You a Candidate?
Candidacy is decided from a clinical examination together with a panoramic X-ray or CBCT scan, which shows the position of each tooth and its relationship to the nerve and sinus. Patients between about 16 and 25 usually have the most straightforward experience, because the roots are not yet fully formed and the bone is less dense. Removal is still routinely performed in older adults; recovery simply tends to take a little longer. If your wisdom teeth are healthy, fully erupted, functional and cleanable, monitoring them is a perfectly reasonable alternative to surgery, and we will tell you so.
Your Anesthesia and Sedation Options
Comfort during wisdom teeth removal is a choice, not a compromise. Our surgeons are trained and licensed in office-based anesthesia, and we will help you pick the option that suits the complexity of your extraction and your own anxiety level.
What Recovery Actually Looks Like
Most people are pleasantly surprised. Here is the typical timeline after wisdom teeth removal, though your surgeon will tailor instructions to your case.
Rest and Clot Formation
Bite on gauze until bleeding settles, use ice on and off, and keep your head slightly elevated. Stick to cool liquids and soft food. Do not rinse vigorously, smoke, vape or use a straw — all of these can dislodge the clot that protects the socket.
Peak Swelling
Swelling and jaw stiffness are usually at their worst around now, then begin to ease. Gentle warm salt-water rinses can start after the first day. Most patients are back at work or school by day three.
Returning to Normal
Discomfort and swelling settle noticeably. You can gradually reintroduce firmer foods, avoiding anything sharp, crunchy or seedy near the extraction sites. Any dissolvable sutures begin to break down.
Soft Tissue and Bone Healing
The gum tissue closes over and the bone underneath continues to fill in over the following months. By this point most patients have returned to a completely normal diet and routine.
Risks, and How We Reduce Them
Wisdom teeth removal is one of the most common procedures in oral surgery, but it is still surgery. Being clear about the risks is part of good care.
What can happen
- Dry socket — premature loss of the blood clot, causing a throbbing ache a few days later.
- Infection at the extraction site, usually treatable with antibiotics and irrigation.
- Altered sensation in the lip, chin or tongue when a root sits against the nerve. This is uncommon and usually temporary.
- Sinus communication with upper wisdom teeth whose roots extend toward the sinus floor.
How we lower the risk
- 3D CBCT imaging when a root looks close to the nerve canal, so the anatomy is known before we begin.
- Sectioning the tooth rather than forcing it, which protects surrounding bone.
- A coronectomy option in selected high-risk cases, leaving the root tip undisturbed away from the nerve.
- Clear written aftercare and a direct line to the practice if anything concerns you.
- On-site expertise in nerve repair should an injury ever need specialist assessment.
Cost, Insurance and Financing
The cost of wisdom teeth removal depends on how many teeth are being removed, whether they are erupted or impacted, and which anesthesia option you choose. We give every patient a written estimate before treatment, so there are no surprises on the day.
- We verify your dental and medical benefits before surgery and file the claim for you.
- Impacted third molars are often covered in part by medical as well as dental plans.
- Financing is available through CareCredit, Cherry, Proceed Finance and Sunbit.
Wisdom Teeth Removal Serving White Plains & Southern Maryland
Our White Plains office sits in the heart of Charles County, just off Route 301, with easy access from Route 5 and Route 228. Most patients reach us in under 30 minutes.
White Plains, MD
4185 Altamont Pl, just off Route 301. Free parking and wheelchair-accessible facilities at our home office.
Waldorf, MD
Just a 10-minute drive north on Route 301. See our Waldorf services.
La Plata, MD
Under 15 minutes via Route 301 south. See our La Plata services.
Brandywine, MD
A short drive north on Route 301. Learn more.
Charles County
Serving Hughesville, Indian Head, Bryans Road, Port Tobacco, and surrounding communities. All areas we serve.
St. Mary's & Calvert
Patients from Leonardtown, Prince Frederick, and across Southern Maryland. Leonardtown · Prince Frederick.
Wisdom Teeth Removal FAQs
Answers to the questions our White Plains and Waldorf patients ask most.
Don't Wait Until It Hurts
Early evaluation of wisdom teeth can prevent complications. Schedule a consultation today.
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