WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
Wisdom tooth extractions are often one of the first encounters a person has with surgery of any kind. For many, the idea of wisdom teeth removal surgery causes anxiety, but our team is here to ensure that having your wisdom teeth removed is nothing to worry about. If you’re the type who wants to really understand the who, what, when, why, and how of it all before scheduling your initial appointment, then you’re in the right place. Let’s walk through the big questions together.
Why Do I Even Need My Wisdom Teeth Removed
Not everyone does! This is why our board-certified oral surgeon will review a panoramic x-ray of your full mouth and evaluate whether you have the space to accommodate your 3rd molars when they erupt. Many adults have the space to allow for all of their wisdom teeth to come in without issue - but with extra teeth comes extra oral hygiene responsibility.
The reason most of us have our 3rd molars removed in adolescence is because we’ve simply evolved to adapt to a new diet that doesn’t require those extra molars for mastication (chewing). Mouths are smaller than they once were, and with less space, we have to make room for the teeth we do need so they don’t get crowded, and for that search for remove wisdom tooth near me in Google or other search engines. Crowding can be painful, harmful to the health of your teeth, and many people consider it not cosmetically pleasing. About 80-95% of Americans have their wisdom teeth removed for this reason, or a few others, and the most common time is between the ages of 15 and 30. When you’re young, your body is able to heal more quickly.
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In this panoramic x-ray, we can see all four 3rd molars are what we call “fully impacted”. This means that the entire tooth is below the gum and bone line and has either not yet erupted, or cannot erupt properly. That’s not unusual for a tooth that hasn’t erupted, but what is important about this patient is that we can see that they don’t have the space for all of those molars to move into place. The top molars would run into the crown of the 2nd molars if they were to come down, and the lower molars are “malpositioned”, which means that they aren’t in the proper position for a tooth in a ‘well-aligned jaw’. Those lower molars will cause problems for teeth #18 and #32 (the teeth the 3rd molars are pushing into) by putting pressure on a part of the tooth that isn’t suited for that kind of pressure, like the top-down force chewing puts on your teeth, for example.
Top 3 Reasons for Wisdom Tooth Extraction
1
“Malposition” – wisdom teeth can be what dentists refer to as ‘malposed’, meaning that the tooth is positioned in such a way that isn’t upright. It may be that it is erupting at an angle into the roots or crown of an adjacent tooth. When wisdom teeth are malposed and erupting, it can cause discomfort and damage to the neighboring molar. Being that wisdom teeth are impacted (refer to our x-ray above) before they erupt, it isn’t possible for an orthodontist to fix the position of these teeth so that they aren’t affecting other healthy teeth.
2
“Impaction” – before any tooth erupts it is covered by gum tissue and jaw bone. For wisdom teeth this can lead to trouble when the teeth begin to push themselves through that tissue into your smile line. Often, the mouth is too small to accommodate our third set of molars. Not having enough space to erupt will result in either a ‘partial bony impaction’ or a ‘full bony impaction’ of any or all of the wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth without room to move can lead to jaw pain, toothaches, pain when eating or brushing, swelling, and infection.
3
"Decay and/or Caries" – for some, wisdom teeth erupt perfectly well and can be relied upon to act as healthy teeth for any number of years; however, erupted wisdom teeth are susceptible to decay and caries. Those third molars reside in the farthest corners of your mouth making them difficult to clean with even the best regular brushing habits. Lack of routine oral hygiene is the top cause of caries – cavities – followed secondly by diet. When you combine an adulthood of acidic coffees, office breakroom birthday cakes, and snack foods that like to cling to your enamel, like potato chips, it makes sense that adults find their way to the dental chair for wisdom tooth extractions even after decades of faithful service by those extra molars.
Are there any risks associated with this surgery?
Serious wisdom tooth extraction complications are rare, but there are some common post-operative issues to look out for:
Why Should I Choose Charleston Oral and Facial Surgery to Remove My Wisdom Teeth?
Searching something like “wisdom tooth extraction near me” is going to bring up far too many results for you to fairly consider. Consider, though, that wisdom tooth removal is one of the procedures that oral surgeons are specifically trained to complete. That isn’t to say that general dentists aren’t capable of extracting third molars – they can be. Oral surgeons are skilled in those extractions that are considered more complex due to impaction or another structural complexity, which is why a general dentist may even refer patients to a surgeon.
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Don’t Hold onto Those Wisdom Teeth
Don't let those troublesome wisdom teeth hold you back. At Charleston Oral and Facial Surgery, we're here to make the experience as smooth and painless as possible, regardless of age (it's not just teenagers who need their wisdom teeth removed). Our expert team of surgeons, cutting-edge technology, and gentle care ensure you'll be back to your best self in no time.
Charleston Oral and Facial Surgery has 7 board-certified oral surgeons on staff offering the most advanced surgical techniques and integrative medical procedures, providing the ultimate patient experience. Outside of the surgical suite, the COAFS team focuses on the following pillars of care:
The Ultimate Patient Experience
Our mission at COAFS is to provide our clients with state-of-the-art oral and maxillofacial treatment through the use of cutting-edge technology, integrative medical practices, ongoing education and compassionate care.
Our team of highly trained, board-certified providers offers the most advanced surgical techniques and integrative medical procedures, providing the ultimate patient experience-every single time.