Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Wisdom teeth are the third and last set of molars that most people get at around 18.
When wisdom teeth are misaligned, they may be positioned horizontally, at an angle toward or away from the second molars and/or angled inward or outward. Poor positioning of wisdom teeth can crowd or damage the second molars, the jawbone, or nerves.
Wisdom teeth also can be impacted — they may be enclosed within the soft tissue confines and/or the jawbone or only partially covered by the gums. Bacteria can easily enter into the gums pockets of partially impacted wisdom teeth thus causing an infection, which results in pain and swelling and even general illness. Partially erupted wisdom teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach locations and awkward positioning makes regular maintenance difficult or even impossible.
In general, the wisdom teeth may be retained only if they are healthy and properly aligned. Timely removal of wisdom teeth may be beneficial to the patient as waiting until the roots are fully formed may lead to unnecessary complications involving the nerve as the roots may wrap around the nerve ultimately making nerve damage inevitable during wisdom teeth removal. Another reason that calls for timely removal of wisdom teeth is that when we age the bone surrounding wisdom teeth becomes harder and removal of wisdom teeth becomes more challenging and thus with higher risks of complications and longer recovering time.
When wisdom teeth are misaligned, they may be positioned horizontally, at an angle toward or away from the second molars and/or angled inward or outward. Poor positioning of wisdom teeth can crowd or damage the second molars, the jawbone, or nerves.
Wisdom teeth also can be impacted — they may be enclosed within the soft tissue confines and/or the jawbone or only partially covered by the gums. Bacteria can easily enter into the gums pockets of partially impacted wisdom teeth thus causing an infection, which results in pain and swelling and even general illness. Partially erupted wisdom teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach locations and awkward positioning makes regular maintenance difficult or even impossible.
In general, the wisdom teeth may be retained only if they are healthy and properly aligned. Timely removal of wisdom teeth may be beneficial to the patient as waiting until the roots are fully formed may lead to unnecessary complications involving the nerve as the roots may wrap around the nerve ultimately making nerve damage inevitable during wisdom teeth removal. Another reason that calls for timely removal of wisdom teeth is that when we age the bone surrounding wisdom teeth becomes harder and removal of wisdom teeth becomes more challenging and thus with higher risks of complications and longer recovering time.