Wisdom teeth: those bothersome later-in-life molars that can wreak havoc on your smile. Our Toluca Lake wisdom tooth dentists have found that many people don’t really know much about wisdom teeth and how they can affect oral health. That is why we are here with some information on third molars and wisdom tooth removal. Let’s get started!
So, while most permanent teeth emerge in late childhood or early adolescence, wisdom teeth arrive a little later. For most patients, wisdom teeth start to come in in late adolescence or early adulthood. As they attempt to emerge, you may notice:
- A feeling of tightness or pain in the back of your smile
- Damaged gum tissue behind your second set of molars
- Chronic bad breath
One of the problems with wisdom teeth is that these teeth rarely emerge healthily. Few patients have enough room along their jawlines for third molars. This causes wisdom teeth to come in horizontally or diagonally, or to become impacted in the jawbone tissue.
In many cases, when they are not removed in a timely manner, wisdom teeth lead to larger oral health problems. For example, because these teeth are so hard to reach and clean effectively, they are prone to developing cavities and contributing to periodontal disease. Additionally, as wisdom teeth try to come in they can actually put pressure on the patient’s existing smile and lead to dental misalignment.
When our dental team plans wisdom tooth extraction treatment, we only work on one side of the patient’s smile at a time. This allows the patient to keep up with their daily routines, and to use one side of their smile to eat normally.
If you think that you have problematic wisdom teeth, it is really important that you reach out to your dentist for an assessment. Give our office a call to schedule a consultation with our Toluca Lake wisdom teeth dentists, and feel free to use the Contact Us page on our site to submit a question for our team.