Wisdom Teeth Specialist

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth are the final molars to emerge in the very back of your mouth, and you have four of them. Two are in your upper arch, and the other two are in your lower arch.

Unlike your other teeth, your wisdom teeth emerge in late adolescence. Most people get them between ages 17 and 21, long after they’ve lost their baby teeth and replaced them with adult teeth.

Many people choose to remove their wisdom teeth to avoid dental complications. Even if your wisdom teeth haven’t caused any issues yet, there’s a chance they may cause crowding and other problems as they emerge. Ramona Dental Specialists can help you decide whether or not to remove your or your child’s wisdom teeth.

Why do I have wisdom teeth?

Since so many people choose to remove their wisdom teeth, you might wonder why you have them in the first place. They give you more chewing power and were once very useful to early humans who ate a diet of meat, roots, and other foods that needed extra force when chewing.

Today, you don’t need your wisdom teeth for their chewing power, which is why removing them is not an issue.

When is wisdom teeth extraction necessary?

Your wisdom teeth can cause many complications affecting your oral health, so removing them is a great way to practice preventive care. Potential complications that can arise because of wisdom teeth include:

• Crowding
• Damage to nearby teeth
• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Infection
• Tooth pain

Impacted wisdom teeth, or wisdom teeth that don’t rise above your gum line, can form cysts or abscesses near your jaw. This is an extreme complication, but Ramona Dental Specialists can solve the problem with wisdom teeth extraction.

What should I expect during wisdom teeth extraction?

Your oral surgeon at Ramona Dental Specialists reviews your case with you to decide which approach to use for your extraction. If you and your dentist decide that wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, you discuss options for anesthesia and sedation.

If you do not have impacted wisdom teeth, extraction is simple. Your surgeon pulls the tooth out by its crown. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, they need to make an incision in the gum first. Then, they might need to remove the tooth in pieces.

During the recovery after wisdom teeth extraction, your face swells for several days, and you need to stick to a diet of soft, easy-to-eat foods. You should follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions closely to avoid further complications that might cause extra pain or require treatment.

If your or your child’s wisdom teeth require extraction, call Ramona Dental Specialists, or book an appointment online today.