Wisdom teeth are third molars that usually appear at ages between 14 and 25 years. Although this may vary from person to person. Sometimes they may also never appear or begin to develop before the established age.
They get their name because when they start to appear people already have a more developed judgment than when the rest of the final denture appears.
Most people usually have four, two above and two below one in each quadrant of the mouth. They are in the last position of the dental line and their size is variable.
For being the last teeth to grow, sometimes the mouth does not have a free place for them. So, in many cases they press on other teeth and their appearance causes pain.
Also, if they go awry, their development can affect others by pushing and moving them, even if you had already done some of the orthodontic and maxillary orthodontic treatments. They usually cause a lot of discomfort and require surgery to remove them.
Wisdom teeth are the last to grow, they are the same and as useful as other teeth. This is only if they grow properly, and the gum tissue around them is healthy.
A myth regarding wisdom teeth is that you should always take them out. Experts believe that, if the tooth remains inside the bone it is not necessary to extract it. When performing an extraction without motives, it would be an invasive procedure. In addition, it is not consistent to have a patient go through this process without need.
However, problems often occur and need to be extracted.
In the case of retained wisdom teeth there is no way to prevent them. For this reason, you should visit your dentist periodically and if it is possible to have X-rays at least once a year. These molars usually present problems so it is common to remove them, even when the patient has not presented any symptoms.
The process to be removed may vary, since each tooth is unique and the procedure will depend on it. The duration of this surgery also depends on the state of it.
The specialist will apply local anesthesia to avoid any type of pain. In some cases, when they remove the four wisdom teeth, they may apply general anesthesia. The dentist will make an incision in the gum tissue to access the tooth. Subsequently removing the bone that prevents reaching the root and begins to divide it by sections as it is easier to remove it.
Once they have removed all the teeth and cleaned the area, they proceed to sew the wound through some stitches. The dentist will also apply some gauze to control bleeding and allow a blood clot to be created.
After the operation, after a recovery period of a few days you may have to go to the specialist to remove the stitches.
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If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Dr. Elsa Mammen, please contact our dental office in Richmond, TX today!