Wisdom Teeth Removal

Though not everyone may have wisdom teeth, and wisdom teeth may not need removal in some circumstances, it is important that young people, between the ages of 17-21, have their wisdom teeth regularly checked as they may need extraction.

Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule an appointment.

This is to prevent you from suffering from any discomfort or any other problems that may arise. Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to break through and people typically develop one wisdom tooth in each corner of the mouth, making four in total. However, as these teeth erupt so much later than the rest, they oftentimes become trapped in the jawbone as there the mouth does not have enough space for them.

This can result in the wisdom teeth growing out in strange angles as there is no space, or alternatively being trapped under the gum. It is very important to remove the wisdom teeth if you are experiencing this as it can affect the healthy nearby teeth and put them at risk of decay due to the odd positioning of the wisdom teeth.

You may not notice your wisdom teeth beginning to develop as they may take a while to erupt, but if you are experiencing any of the following, they may be indicators that you require wisdom teeth removal.

Infections
Teeth crowding
Gum disease
Cavities
Resorption of adjacent teeth or bone around the roots
Cyst, which has potential to harm roots of surrounding teeth or bone
Pericoronitis- this is an infection of soft tissue and is commonly cause by oral microbiota. Where the pericoronitis is light, it is just swelling and soreness in a localized area of tissue, and in a more serious cases the swelling can a bit larger and may even develop to Trismus (where the mouth is difficult to open).

Benefits of Removing Wisdom Teeth

Prevent Formation of Cysts

A cyst is a pocket full of fluid that can be caused due to an impacted wisdom tooth. As it forms, the cyst grows and can potentially ruin the nearby jaw bones, and even the teeth. Furthermore, in some rare cases delaying the removal of wisdom teeth can even result in a tumor developing in the mouth. Therefore, it is imperative that wisdom teeth be removed at a younger age to prevent any potential cysts.

Preventing Damage to the Second Molar

As there is oftentimes not enough space in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to erupt, it is extremely difficult to not only clean the wisdom tooth, but also the teeth adjacent to it (the second molar) as the teeth are crowded.

This can then lead to tooth decay, bone loss, and gum disease as the teeth cannot be properly taken care of. Even if cleaned, as the adjacent teeth are often still damaged as the wisdom teeth push against them. Thus, removing the wisdom teeth early prevents these problems from occurring.

Infection Prevention

When wisdom teeth don’t have enough space to erupt properly, they cause a very common infection in the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth, called Pericoronitis. That can cause issues and discomfort in chewing or swallowing food as the infection results in swelling of the gum tissue around the wisdom teeth. As this can lead to major infections in the mouth and even fever, it is important to promptly remove wisdom teeth when needed to prevent this.

Prevent Teeth Crowding

As the eruption of the wisdom teeth can push together and crowd the already existing teeth, the adjacent teeth may be put at risk of tooth decay or gum infection due to the increased difficulty to correctly clean the teeth. The effect of teeth crowding can be visibly seen in the lower arch at the front, and commonly effects those who used to have braces. Thus, wisdom teeth extraction is recommended to prevent the over-crowding of the teeth.

Office Hours

Monday: 9:30am - 7pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 10am to 7pm
Friday: 9:30am - 4pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 2pm

Make An Appointment Now

@ Lakeshore Dental Center 2024