When should you get your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Columbus, OH
 We have new teeth coming in at various periods in our youth. The first molars usually come in at around six years of age, and the second molars erupt around age 12. The third molars most often arrive between the ages of 17 and 25.
Since they come in during the years in which we become wiser, they are often called wisdom teeth. For some people, the arrival of their wisdom teeth is no cause for alarm. In other cases, the eruption of the third molars can cause problems, resulting in the need for tooth extraction.
Ideally, the wisdom teeth should emerge and line up properly within healthy gum tissue. However, in many cases, the wisdom teeth cannot properly erupt through the gums. They can even come in sideways or penetrate the gums only partially, and sometimes they end up at odd angles or even backward.
Complications with Wisdom Teeth
When your wisdom teeth don’t erupt properly, you may experience considerable problems. For instance, the improper eruption may produce an opening in which food and bacteria get stuck, causing infection. Symptoms of such a problem include pain, stiffness, fever, nausea, vomiting, and swelling. The pressure caused by the eruption of your wisdom teeth can cause other adjacent teeth to move, potentially disrupting the natural alignment of your teeth and reversing any orthodontic work you’ve had done in the past.
Additional problems can occur when cysts or tumors develop around wisdom teeth. This can cause serious damage, and some patients will need jaw surgery or bone grafting. The best course of action, however, is to remove the wisdom teeth as early as possible before they can cause any further health complications.
Wisdom Teeth Extractions
Wisdom teeth extractions are usually separated into non-surgical and surgical. Non-surgical extractions are also called simple extractions. Surgical extractions involve cutting through the gums and tooth. If the tooth becomes fractured or won’t become loose when pressure is applied during a simple extraction, then it can rapidly turn into a surgical extraction. Rest assured, we only perform these procedures once the extraction site is made completely numb.
We meet with our patients personally to examine their wisdom teeth and evaluate whether they will become a problem down the line. The procedure involves taking a panoramic radiograph and reviewing the results of an oral evaluation. Early intervention results in fewer problems after surgery, so we start evaluating our patients during their teenage years to track the progression of their wisdom teeth.
During the extraction surgery, patients are usually sedated to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. We also look at our patients’ medical history and personal needs to determine which method of sedation will work best for them. Before the surgical procedure, we go over all of the details with our patients, so they know exactly what to expect leading up to, during, and after the surgery. Surgery may unnerve some patients, but our friendly staff is there for them every step of the way.
For more information, please contact our office at (614) 427-0449 today.
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