For many years it was a popular belief that wisdom teeth should be left in place unless they were fully “erupted” or viewable above the gum. Today, however, this is not the case.
The risks normally associated with wisdom teeth only grow more likely as a patient ages. People who wait for problems such as infection, swelling, pain or other medical conditions to occur before seeking treatment are at a greater risk. Those under the age of thirty-five are the best candidates for wisdom teeth extraction, while patients over the age of fifty are at greater risk for potential complications, as by that age, the teeth will be harder to remove. There is also the risk of dysaesthesia (loss of sensation) of the jaw and mouth due to the location of nerves in the regions adjacent to the wisdom tooth.
Luckily, modern technology provides a Centerville or Bellbrook dentist or oral surgeon with a good view of the situation before beginning any extraction. Nerves, bones and problematic teeth will all be plainly seen on a standard X-ray, and the patient can be advised of any potential problems.
Why is it necessary to extract wisdom teeth? Wisdom teeth can be a source of pain, and can compress and crowd other teeth. Wisdom teeth can cause other teeth to shift resulting in bite irregularity and associated problems. They can cause sinus problems, irritate the gum tissue and encourage infection.
Extracting wisdom teeth often require surgical skill, especially for teeth that are unerupted. A trained oral surgeon or dentist is ideally suited to tackle wisdom teeth. Many Centerville or Bellbrook dental professionals offer a variety of sedation techniques (usually IV sedation) because of the nature of the extraction of wisdom tooth.
A patient can expect to experience some pain or discomfort, some bleeding, swelling of the facial area, and dysaesthesia (loss of sensation) in the lower lip and chin area particularly when the inferior alveolar nerve, which provides feeling to the lower jaw area, sustains damage.