Q: My wisdom tooth in the lower jaw has decayed and chipped off completely. What are the risks involved in getting it extracted? Does it involve cutting the gums? My husbands tooth was extracted when he had a swelling. Does that pose any risk?

A:There are no risks involved in surgically extracting the wisdom tooth except that you may or may not have a little swelling and reduced opening of the jaw for a couple of days. This is a normal post-operative reaction to the cutting of gums. If your husbands tooth was extracted under antibiotic cover there should be no problem.