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Wisdom Teeth Extractions |
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Wisdom teeth, or third molars, do not always erupt
properly when they decide to make an appearance. It's wise to get an
early opinion from your dentist on getting wisdom teeth pulled before
they are impacted, causing pain, swelling, infection, cavities or gum
disease. |
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Consulting about the removal of a wisdom tooth
See more pictures like this in our photo gallery |
 | Why don't wisdom teeth grow in right?
 | The shape of the modern human mouth is often too small to
accommodate wisdom teeth which make their first appearance in
young adults between the ages of 15 and 25. Over the course of
time, humans learned to harness fire for cooking foods and
developed blade tools to better process food before consumption,
they reduced the need for strong jaws to chew food. According to
studies of ancient skull specimens, over time, a full set of
teeth in a smaller jaw caused crowding permanent teeth because
of lack of space. |
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| What does "impacted" mean?
| When wisdom teeth don't have room to grow or they haven't
reached their final position by age 25, they are considered
impacted--no place to go and no place to grow. Third molar
impaction is the most prevalent medical developmental disorder.
A full set of healthy teeth sometimes doesn't leave much room
for wisdom teeth to erupt. |
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| What kind of problems can impacted third molars cause?
| Partially erupted wisdom teeth are breeding gounds for
bacteria and germs that may cause infection, cysts and tumors
may grow on trapped wisdom tooth. Jaw pain and gum disease may
occur. Not all wisdom teeth cause problems, however. |
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| Can't I just use an antibiotic?
| Antibiotics only soothe infected wisdom teeth for a short
time. Since people frequently use a wide variety of antibiotics,
the infection may be resistant to such medication and doesn't
solve the real problem: The tooth can't fit in your mouth. |
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| When is removal necessary?
| It isn't wise to wait until wisdom teeth bother you. Early
removal, as advised by your dentist, is generally recommended to
avoid problems, such as an impacted tooth that destroys the
second molar. People younger than 16 heal easier too. At an
early age, people should be evaluated by their dentist who can
track third molar development with the help of x-rays. Second
molars should be visible to lessen the chance of damaging them
during surgery. This occurs at age 11 or 12, so wisdom teeth
should be removed when the decision has been made that they
cannot erupt into an acceptable position. |
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| What if I don't have any symptoms?
| People with symptoms of impaction, such as pain, swelling and
infection should have their wisdom teeth removed immediately.
However, those with no symptoms can avoid the chance of even
suffering from the pain of impacted wisdom teeth or achieve
better orthodontic treatment results by having them removed.
Asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth also should be removed to
reduce the chance of unexplained pain, accommodate prosthetic
appliances, or avoid cavities, periodontal disease, bone
shrinkage and tumor development. |
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| How is the tooth removed?
| Surgery for impacted wisdom teeth consists of removal of the
gum tissue over the tooth, gently stripping connective tissue
away from the tooth and bone, removing the tooth and sewing the
gum back up. |
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