Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are the
third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens
or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the
mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they require
removal. Wisdom teeth present potential problems when they are
misaligned – they can position themselves horizontally, be angled toward
or away from the second molars or be angled inward or outward. In
addition, they can be entrapped completely within the soft tissue and/or
the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum.
Teeth that remain partially or completely entrapped within the soft
tissue and /or the jawbone are termed "impacted."
The removal, or extraction, of wisdom teeth is generally recommended when:
- The jaw isn't large enough to allow all the wisdom
teeth to fully erupt in an alignment that is useful for chewing and crushing
food.
- Wisdom teeth only partially erupt. This allows an
opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which
results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness. Partially
erupted teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their
hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning makes brushing and flossing
difficult.
- Poor alignment of wisdom teeth crowds or damages
adjacent teeth, the jawbone, or nerves. Wisdom teeth that lean toward the
second molars make those teeth more vulnerable to decay by entrapping plaque
and debris.
- Cysts (fluid-filled sacs) form or to minimize their potential
for forming. Cysts destroy surrounding teeth, jawbone, and nerves.
If untreated, a tumor could develop from the walls of the cysts,
requiring a more complicated surgical procedure for removal.
How Do I Know if I Have Wisdom Teeth?
Ask your dentist about the positioning of your wisdom teeth. He or
she may take an X-ray periodically to evaluate for the presence and
alignment of your wisdom teeth. Your dentist may also decide to send you
to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.
Your dentist or oral surgeon may recommend that your wisdom teeth be
extracted even before problems develop. This is done to avoid a more
painful or more complicated extraction that might have to be done a few
years later. Removal is easier in young people, when the wisdom teeth
roots are not yet fully developed and the bone is less dense. In older
people, recovery and healing time tend to be longer.
How is a Wisdom Tooth Removed?
The relative ease at which your dentist or oral surgeon can extract
your wisdom teeth depends on the position of the impacted teeth. Your
oral health care provider will be able to give you an idea of what to
expect during your pre-extraction examination. A wisdom tooth that is
fully erupted through the gum can be extracted as easily as any other
tooth. However, a wisdom tooth that is underneath the gums and embedded
in the jawbone, requires an incision into the gums and then removal of
the portion of bone that lies over the tooth. Oftentimes for a tooth in
this situation, the tooth will be extracted in small sections rather
than removed in one piece to minimize the amount of bone that needs to
be removed to get the tooth out.
What Medications Might be Needed During Extraction?
Before your wisdom tooth is extracted, the tooth and the surrounding
tissue will be numbed with a local anesthetic – the same injection with
the same medication you receive to numb a tooth prior to having a cavity
filled. In addition to the local anesthetic to numb the pain, you and
your dentist or oral surgeon may decide that a sedative – in addition to
the local anesthetic – is desired to control your anxiety. Sedating
medications that could be selected include: nitrous oxide (otherwise
known as "laughing gas"), an oral sedative (for example, Valium), or an
intravenous sedative (administered via an injection into your veins). If
nitrous oxide is given, you will be able to drive yourself home. If any
of the other medications is selected, you will need someone to drive you
both to and from the appointment in which your tooth will be extracted.
Next: What Does Recovery Involve with Wisdom Teeth Extraction? »
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From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
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- Oral Surgery - Get information on oral surgery, which may be used to remove a wisdom tooth, insert dental implants, treat TMJ, cleft lip, cleft palate, jaw deformities and sleep apnea. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic
- Toothache - Complete explanation of a toothache including the many dental and non-dental causes - dental cavities, dental abscess, gum disease, irritation of the tooth root, cracked tooth syndrome, temporomandibular disease, impaction, eruption, as well as diseases of the heart, sinuses, and ears. Source:MedicineNet
- Pericoronitis - Learn about Pericoronitis, a dental disorder in which the gum tissue around the molar teeth becomes swollen and infected. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic
- Read 8 more Wisdom Teeth related articles ...
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