What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop. They start to move into the mouth during your later teenage years. Most people have four total, although some people may never get any. Wisdom teeth are just another set of molars – there is really nothing special about them.
Why do I need them removed?
Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed. If a wisdom tooth has enough space to erupt into place, and the patient can keep the teeth clean, then wisdom teeth can be kept for life. Unfortunately, this situation doesn’t happen often. Wisdom teeth usually don’t have the space they need, and may turn sideways or get stuck on the way out. Improperly positioned teeth can create a variety of long-term problems for patients. Even the best brushers have trouble cleaning wisdom teeth. If not cleaned properly, wisdom teeth usually develop gum disease and decay (that may also affect your other molars too).
What if my wisdom teeth hurt right now?
Some discomfort can be normal, up to a certain point. However, a partially visible wisdom tooth can develop an infection around it. If you are running a fever or have a bad taste in your mouth, the After Orthodontics team can help you out. If you have trouble breathing, don’t wait – go to the hospital immediately. Fortunately that is very rare!
I’ve seen recent news articles talking about how dentists take out too many wisdom teeth. Is that true?
We’ve read these too. It’s an important discussion to have with our patients – you need to be fully informed. News coverage can sometimes oversimplify scientific data. It’s hard to capture a complicated discussion in a short space – both here and in a news story. Not all wisdom teeth need to come out, and some patients who have them removed may not have needed the procedure. The challenge is trying to determine who is who. Scientific studies have a tough time finding out how effective preventive procedures are, because we cannot count something that didn’t happen – we prevented it. Your After Orthodontics™ doctors have a variety of backgrounds and a lot of collective experience. We do our very best to assess your particular level of risk and give you the best information possible to help you decide what to do. You are part of our After Orthodontics™ family and we want to treat you just as we would any other family member.