Wisdom teeth got their informal name because they grow in as you mature and gain wisdom. Unfortunately, for many people, wisdom teeth eruption isn’t a good thing because it can cause pain or threaten your oral health.
At Tenth Street Family Dental, we recognize that every patient is unique, so our skilled dentists make recommendations for wisdom teeth removal based on your situation. January’s blog covers how to know when wisdom teeth removal is necessary.
We follow the latest guidelines for wisdom teeth removal, and we only recommend removing wisdom teeth when it’s right for your specific situation. Our team starts with X-rays and a careful exam of your mouth, along with a discussion about any symptoms you’ve experienced.
We start keeping close track of your wisdom teeth in your teens or whenever they start to erupt or cause symptoms. We monitor their growth during every exam and discuss possible treatment options if problems arise.
In general, the American Dental Association recommends removing wisdom teeth when they cause or are connected to any of the following problems.
Sometimes, healthy wisdom teeth may require removal if they’re likely to present a problem later. For example, if you’re getting braces, you might need wisdom teeth removal to make sure the braces can achieve the necessary corrections.
If you have the potential for wisdom teeth-related problems later, we may recommend wisdom teeth removal sooner rather than later. It’s best to remove wisdom teeth when you’re younger versus older because the risk of all health issues only increases with age.
Some people don’t need wisdom teeth removal. The team carefully evaluates the size of your jaw, the alignment of your teeth, and the angle at which the wisdom teeth are growing to determine whether they have room to erupt properly.
As long as your wisdom teeth aren't causing any problems and they can grow incorrectly, we may recommend against wisdom teeth removal. But we still monitor your wisdom teeth carefully during all your checkups to make sure nothing changes.
Wisdom teeth removal is a surgical procedure — one that’s performed on a case-by-case basis. If you need wisdom teeth removal surgery, you can rest easy knowing that our experienced dentists use the latest state-of-the-art technology and highly specialized techniques to make your procedure as comfortable as possible.
To schedule your wisdom teeth evaluation, contact us online, or call the Tenth Street Family Dental office.
