Your wisdom teeth are essentially molars, sometimes referred to as your third molars. They were necessary from a time when our ancestors survived on a diet of crunchy foods and roots. Most people have four wisdom teeth. However, it is not uncommon for some people to have as many as six, while at the same time, some people never develop wisdom teeth at all as they are the most common congenitally missing teeth.
Wisdom teeth usually start to emerge from the gums early to late adolescence if at all. Early signs that your wisdom teeth are starting to emerge include a deep ache in the gums or rear of the jaw as the wisdom teeth begin to move.
To understand the benefits of wisdom teeth removal, it helps to be aware of the problems they can cause. Wisdom teeth that are non-obtrusive and/or painless are easy to ignore, but even asymptomatic molars can harm your healthy tissue and adjacent teeth. The following side effects are just a few of the common complications associated with impacted teeth.
- Pain in the back of mouth or jaw
- Inflammation in the jaw
- Inflamed and painful gums
- Bleeding gums
- Bad breath
- Issues with surrounding teeth
- Loss of bone and/or gums
- Cysts or tumors associated with unerupted teeth
Since there usually isn’t a lot of room in the back of your mouth, emerging wisdom teeth can sometimes potentially cause crowding issues. This can even cause them to become impacted, leading to pain, infection and potentially damaging your molars.
Though there are many reasons in favor of having your wisdom teeth removed, here are the top 5 reasons you need your wisdom teeth removed:
- Inflammation, pain and infection
- Difficult to keep clean
- Damage to nearby teeth
- Overcrowding
- Possible cysts or tumor development
Even if your wisdom teeth emerge from the gums without any problems, they will still be cleaned to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. While it might be tempting to let them stay in the back of your mouth it can lead to issues later on. As you age your wisdom teeth can become partially fused to the jawbone. If you choose not to have them extracted later in life you may experience a much longer recovery time.
The earlier you can get your teen in or even yourself the better. The reason being is that most of the time, the management of wisdom teeth that are partially developed are easier to have removed and easier to recover from. With a simple full mouth X-ray, referred to as a panorex radiograph, Dr. Spear can determine the current positioning of your wisdom teeth and discuss your options. He has been doing wisdom teeth removal for decades and has removed thousands so you can rest assured you are in good hands. His technique is fast and his patients mainly report a quick recovery time. Management options include local anesthesia and nitrous oxide or local anesthesia and oral sedation or IV sedation.
Wisdom teeth removal is a procedure often covered by dental insurance but we do have a competitive fee for service pricing as well. As a Spear Loyalty Program patient, you will receive an automatic 20% off of any procedure or treatment plan we offer.
If you would like advice or a consultation about a possible extraction procedure, feel free to call us at 817.920.1488 to schedule an appointment.