Understanding Wisdom Teeth And Potential Problems

Everyone loves losing teeth when they are young. For most it means an opportunity to get a little money under the pillow from the good ole Tooth Fairy. It also paves the way for our permanent adult teeth and signs that we are getting older and moving into adolescents. On the other hand, it gets us closer to our third and final set of molars, our wisdom teeth.

Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of wisdom that comes with these teeth. Wisdom teeth usually come in when we are in our late teens to early twenties. Sometimes these molars come in aligned but most of the time they are misaligned and should be removed.

When wisdom teeth come in on an angle, they crowd other teeth and can even damage adjacent healthy teeth. Misaligned wisdom teeth can also cause jawbone or nerve damage if left in place for too long.

Wisdom teeth can often be impacted or only partially break through the gums. When wisdom teeth are partially broken through, a gap or opening is created which can cause problems down the road. Bacteria can form and enter through the opening which can cause infections and edema (swelling, pain, and redness). Over the long run, partially erupted wisdom teeth can cause serious damage. Tooth decay can occur over time as well as gum disease.

Diagnosis of wisdom teeth:

This is one reason semi-annual visits to your dentist and getting teeth cleanings are so important. Not only is it recommended to have this thorough cleaning, but also a great time for your dentist to do a complete exam of your teeth and gums. This cleaning will allow your dentist the opportunity to determine if wisdom teeth are misaligned or impacted. Periodic x-rays by your dental staff is a great tool for understanding your dental situation and to evaluate for the presence of wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth extraction:

Some dentists will remove wisdom teeth in the office while others will refer patients to an oral surgeon. Many times when the wisdom tooth or teeth are impacted, an oral surgeon will be brought in as an incision into the gums is required. The patient in this case will likely be put under anesthesia during the procedure. Thus leading many dentists to refer these cases out to an oral surgeon.

Wisdom teeth that are underneath the gums also require removal of a portion of the bone that lies over the tooth. Many times the oral surgeon or your dentist will opt to remove just one tooth at a time depending on the others placement at the time. In other words, removing the problem wisdom tooth without waiting on the others to come in.

So for those in the Boynton Beach area give Dr. Hugh Rosenblatt DMD a call today to schedule your appointment. Dr. Rosenblatt will provide solutions to help determine if its time to have your wisdom teeth removed. (561) 737-8559.