Wisdom teeth are the third and last molars, they usually appear around the later age of sixteen and twenty years old, but in some cases, they never grow out of the gums. These molars are the last to grow on each side of the lower and upper gums, next to the second molars. The way these teeth are called is because of the fact that they appear in an age when more maturity has been acquired.
In some cases, the apparition of wisdom teeth does not represent any complications at all, but most frequently, the extraction of these teeth can be necessary since they mean a threat to good oral health.
Why can it be necessary to extract the wisdom teeth?
Some of the reasons to do an extraction of the third molars are:
-Lack of space: as the last teeth to grow, there may not be enough free space for them. In this case, the teeth stay retained and produce swelling and severe pain.
-Infections: the partial eruption of these molars allows an opening that can become a place for food and bacteria to remain and cause the swelling of the gum and a lot of pain.
-Displacement of the teeth: the apparition of the third molars can cause a displacement of the teeth and it can also alter the bite.
Some doctors recommend the extraction of the wisdom teeth even before they grow to avoid later complications. If you’d like to know if your third molars are growing healthy and won’t cause any problems visit your dentist.
How’s the wisdom teeth extraction?
There are two different ways to extract the wisdom teeth that basically depend on their state. In the first and simplest procedure, the dentist injects local anesthesia to numb the area of the gum around the molar and then, with the help of a special dental tool, extracts it. This procedure is the one executed when the third molar is not impacted or retained but needs to be removed either way.
The second procedure and the most complicated one consists of a surgery where the dentist or oral surgeon injects local anesthesia in the gum, around the area of the teeth that are going to be extracted; general anesthesia can also be used. To do the extraction of the teeth, the oral surgeon will do a little cut on the gum. This surgery should be done in an operating room. This type of procedure is the one needed to extract the third molars when they are found impacted or retained, so they are completely or partially covered by the gum and the jaw bone.
Should I extract my wisdom teeth?
Your dentist or an oral surgeon are the ones who will determinate if your wisdom teeth need to be extracted. Sometimes the appearance of the third molars represents no problem at first, but it is only a matter of time until the complications start. Extracting your wisdom teeth before complications are developed will make the procedure less traumatic.