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For
many people, the best treatment for wisdom teeth
is to remove them. This treatment helps prevent future
dental problems and maintain a healthy mouth and
smile.
Your last molars, called the third
molars or wisdom teeth, typically begin to come in
(erupt) during the
late teens or early twenties. When they don’t
have room to grow in properly, they are considered
impacted. This can cause serious problems:
• A
very painful infection, called periocoronitis,
can affect a partially erupted wisdom tooth
and the surrounding gums. This infection
can spread
into the face and jaw.
• When
a wisdom tooth tries to erupt at an angle,
it can cause
decay in the neighboring
tooth. This happens because wisdom teeth
are nearly impossible to keep free of plaque,
and
the area between the two teeth becomes
a trap for the bacteria in plaque that
cause
tooth
decay. (See photos, right)
• Additional bacteria
in plaque cause periodontal (gum) disease,
which may start
near the wisdom teeth and spread throughout
the mouth.
• A fluid filled sac called a cyst may
develop around an impacted tooth. A cyst can
destroy a great deal of bone in the jaw before
it’s noticed.
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click on image
below to enlarge.
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To
determine if extracting wisdom teeth is right for your
situation, we’ll do a thorough examination, which
typically includes
x-rays.
It’s
often better to remove wisdom teeth early, while their
roots are still small,
even before the teeth have come
in through the gums. This allows for
easier removal,
fewer
complications, and faster healing.
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