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Wisdom Tooth Removal

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Usually beginning in your early adult years, the four or less furthest back teeth in your mouth, your wisdom teeth, may begin to give you problems. It is very common for people to have these teeth removed to prevent any overcrowding or decay. Some people have enough room in their mouths to keep their wisdom teeth without experiencing any complications or problems. So at what point is it recommended that you remove your wisdom teeth?

Impacted teeth

Impacted wisdom teeth means that the wisdom tooth is disturbing other teeth or is growing in at an odd angle, getting trapped partially under gums. This can result in pain, food particles getting stuck and tooth decay. Leaving an impacted tooth can alter the way that your teeth sit in your mouth, causing your teeth to go crooked. If you have ever had orthodontic work, this is a bad idea. Having impacted teeth is the most common reason for wisdom tooth removal.

The procedure

If it is deemed necessary that your wisdom teeth must be removed, at your scheduled appointment for your wisdom teeth extraction you will be given anesthesia to put you to sleep during the duration of the surgery. Your dentist may need to remove some gums or bone that may be covering your tooth, if necessary. Then they will be able to properly remove the tooth and sew the wound with stitches.

Recovery

Your dentist will prescribe pain medication to take during your recovery time, which usually only lasts a couple of days or so. You will want to relax during this time and eat foods that you don’t have to chew. You will want to avoid touching the wound in anyway for the first couple of days to ensure that it will heal properly. Keep and ice pack to reduce the swelling and inflammation.

Wisdom teeth removal can be a bit scary to people, but it is a very common and necessary procedure to preventative dental health. By removing your wisdom teeth, if needed, you protect yourself from future complications and infections. So do yourself a favor and check with your dentist about your wisdom teeth, just because they aren’t causing a problem now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with us to determine your wisdom teeth needs, give us a call. Don’t hesitate to come to us with any additional concerns or questions.

The Hidden Cause of Chaos in Your Mouth

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Wisdom teeth used to be really helpful. When our ancestors ate rough food that wore down their teeth faster they needed that extra set of molars as replacements.

But with modern oral hygiene (You are getting regular check-ups, right?) and softer diets we’re able to keep our teeth longer. Which means we don’t need those extra teeth. And yet most of us still get them. And this is why chaos begins; 32 teeth don’t fit in a space meant for 28.

Occasionally there is room for those extra teeth and they are able to erupt into the proper position. But, since they are the furthest back in your mouth they are also the most difficult to properly clean, resulting in more cavities.

If there isn’t enough room for them though they will remain trapped in your jawbone. This usually results in your teeth becoming impacted as the wisdom teeth strive to find a way out. Whether your wisdom teeth are partially erupted or fully hidden they can cause a variety of problems for you. The gums around the wisdom teeth are still susceptible to infections and the space around those hidden teeth are especially vulnerable. The pressure from teeth trying to erupt can cause pain in your jaw and the constant force can cause the destruction of neighboring teeth.

Some symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth are

  • Jaw pain – Pain in the back of your jaw, or headaches that stem from the area where your jaw meets your skull are the most common indicator.
  • Difficulty opening your mouth – those extra teeth crowding the space make it hard for the joints to move easily.
  • Pain while chewing – if the gums in the back of your mouth are more sensitive it could be because your wisdom teeth are coming in.
  • Bad taste or bad breath – That funk could be caused by an infection or developing cyst.
  • Sore or bleeding gums – tender, swollen, or bleeding gums are all signs of gum disease. It can also be cause by the added pressure of the impacted teeth on your gums. If this is occurring where your wisdom teeth would be it might be time to have them removed.
  • Changes in your mouth – if your jaw looks swollen and is tender to touch or you feel your teeth being pushed closer together it’s time to call your dentist.
  • Swollen glands – if your lymph glands are swollen but you can’t find another source of infection then there might be one hidden in your jaw.
  • No Wisdom Teeth appearing – Patients are typically between 16 and 26 when their wisdom teeth erupt. If this hasn’t happened it could be because they’re impacted. It’s important to see your dentist to verify if they’re there or you got lucky and didn’t get any at all.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and you haven’t had you Wisdom Teeth make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible. If those extra teeth are causing you problems then the sooner we catch it, the easier it is to resolve.