Wisdom teeth also known as third molars are the last teeth to erupt. Wisdom teeth may become a problem for you as they grow and develop in each corner of your mouth. Problems often develop gradually since development normally spans several years. Nevertheless, these gradual changes can cause sudden and severe pain. Understanding why such things can happen may help you to deal with these problems, or better still, to encourage you to take preventive measures before they occur.
The jawbone grows to approximately its adult size by your late teens. Unfortunately, that size is often too small to hold developing wisdom teeth. This happens because our jaws are smaller than those of early humans who needed large jaws and more teeth for their tougher diet.
When there is not enough room for your wisdom teeth, they may become impacted, or partially trapped in the jawbone and gums. The crown, or top of the tooth, may erupt, or just break through the gum, or it may remain completely within the bone. The roots can grow in unusual directions and may cause a variety of problems in your mouth and with your sinus cavity or the nerve in your lower jaw. The primary preventive measure for wisdom teeth is removal, preferably at an early stage.
A tooth becomes impacted due to lack of space in the dental arch and its eruption is therefore prevented by gum, bone, another tooth or all three. Lack of space occurs because our jaws have become smaller through evolution. We do not lose teeth through decay as frequently as in the past and our diet does not wear down our teeth as much.
Impacted wisdom teeth can grow in a variety of directions. This is illustrated above.
A wisdom tooth may grow toward your other teeth, away from them, or even in horizontal or vertical positions. When such conditions occur, it's far simpler and less painful to have them removed early before they have a chance to firmly anchor in your jaw as the teeth grow and the roots lengthen.
Continue Reading
Part 2:
Why Remove Wisdom Teeth?
Part 3:
The Pro's & Con's of Wisdom Tooth Removal
Part 4:
The Operation & Post-Operative Healing
Wisdom teeth, (also known as third molars) are the last to develop among all teeth. A wisdom tooth usually crops up in the corners of the mouth. Not all people has all four wisdom teeth. Wisdom tooth usually sprouts from the gums in late teenage years or early twenties. Ideally, wisdom teeth are and can be beneficial if they are properly positioned and grown in a healthy way.
However, it is very common for wisdom teeth to become impacted, that means the teeth do not completely erupt from the jaw bone. Wisdom teeth can grow in many different funny directions or angles, sometimes even growing horizontally. Moreover, wisdom teeth cause crowding of teeth and moving among other teeth. Worse, wisdom teeth might get stuck under a part of the gums, causing severe incovenient pain and more possibly inflammation of gums. Imapcted wisdom teeth causes ear ache, head ache, and pain felt in your throat, face, and neck.
Whether or not you wisdom teeth cause you to feel discomfort when they first erupt, many dentists recommend patients have their wisdom teeth removed shortly after they erupt. Wisdom teeth cause more problems than any other tooth in the mouth.
Gum infections – bacteria and food sediments can also collect under the gum around an impacted wisdom tooth, causing a gum infection. This may also lead to bad breath or halitosis, pain and swelling, and may feel very painful to open the mouth. In extreme cases, the gum inflammation may spread to the cheeks or even down to the neck.
Tooth Decay – food particles can collect around an impacted wisdom tooth and bacteria can build up since it could be difficult to maintain it clean. This instance can develop tooth decay both in the wisdom tooth and the surrounding teeth.
Preserving Prosthetics – Wisdom teeth that erupt beneath a denture can cause irritation to the gums. Patients will need new dentures following removal of the wisdom tooth to accommodate the changes in the shape of the gum.
Pressure damage – as wisdom teeth start to erupt, it may stress and push adjacent teeth resulting to excruciating pain. Or, the pressure may erode the adjacent teeth.
Teeth Crowding – A wisdom tooth forces the other teeth to move to give enough space for it. Patients who have had significant orthodontic work to straighten their teeth risk reverting the changes.
The extraction of wisdom tooth should only be done at a dental clinic centres by a dentists. A local anesthesia is needed to numb the gum area around the wisdom tooth to be extracted. A general anesthesia, alternatively, can make the patient sleep during the extraction procedure. Immediately after the mouth is numbed, the dentist starts to make incisions. Afterwards, the dentist will remove the tissues and adjacent bones which is obscuring the access to the wisdom teeth. Lastly, the dentist will then finally remove the tooth. The area is then stitched closed and the patient returns home to recuperate.
Please see reduced dental fees for cost of wisdom teeth extraction in your area. Each state has their own rates for wisdom tooth extraction.
Please see our dentists and dental clinics list to find a dentist providing wisdom teeth extraction services. Our lists includes dental practices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and other cities in Australia. For best extraction services please make sure you have all the information about wisdom tooth and understood the process of getting partial or full dentures from a dentist.
Source:
http://www.larimercountydentalsociety.com/pdf/Widsom%20teeth.pdf
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