When Should the Wisdom Teeth Be Removed?
At Suburban Oral Surgery & Implant Center, we always strive to ensure our patients experience excellent health and wellness. This means performing advanced dental treatments, and remaining at the forefront of dentistry in the greater Bolingbrook area.
Wisdom tooth extraction is a routine and effective oral surgery procedure, though many patients wonder what it involves and if it is even necessary. Let's consider that right now.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are extra sets of molars that grow in behind the rear molars. They are known as wisdom teeth because they often start to show up as people reach adulthood. They are not necessary for regular biting and chewing. In fact, they may cause a number of problems to your general dental wellness.
When Will My Wisdom Teeth Emerge?
Usually wisdom teeth emerge or begin to emerge around the late teens or early twenties. This varies from person to person, though your dentist should be able to notice the appearance of wisdom teeth in dental x-rays during the mid-teens or a bit later.
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Necessary?
Not always. Some people have wisdom teeth that grow in perfectly straight and cause them no problems whatsoever. In such cases, the patient has the wisdom teeth emerge without pain or discomfort to the jaw or adjacent teeth, and when in place, the wisdom teeth do not lead to difficulties with proper dental hygiene. That means being able to brush and floss without any undue difficulty.
However, since the teeth are superfluous and there could be issues with wellness related to them, it's not a bad idea to have them removed. This is particularly important for impacted wisdom teeth.
What Happens If My Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted?
Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that are growing in crooked, pressing against your adjacent teeth and other structures of the mouth. When this occurs, it can lead to a number of problems that affect the health of your smile as well as your general wellness.
If impaction is present, then you should have your wisdom teeth removed.
Signs That You Should Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed
Some signs that you should have your wisdom teeth removed include:
- Tooth pain
- Jaw pain
- Gum disease
- Serious tooth decay (particularly to rear molars)
- Cysts around teeth
- Chips and cracks to rear molars
Be sure to report these to your dentist as soon as you notice these problems. The sooner an issue can get diagnosed and treated, the better.
We Can Discuss These Options in More Detail During Your Consultation
The oral surgery to remove wisdom teeth is relatively routine, and it can be planned in full during a consultation with an oral surgeon. This will provide you with the ability to ask questions and have all of your concerns addressed as well.
Contact Suburban Oral Surgery & Implant Center
To find out more about wisdom tooth extraction and what the process entails, we encourage you to contact our advanced dental care center today. The entire team at Suburban Oral Surgery & Implant Center looks forward to discussing these matters with you in greater detail during your visit to the practice.