Brickell Dental Care. Wisdom teeth: remove or retain

Wisdom teeth, unlike others, erupt later (at the age of 18-25 years), when the jaw bone tissue is already formed, which leads to some difficulties. They lack a dairy precursor to provide optimal conditions for eruption. There are a lot of disputes around them: some recommend getting rid of them right away, while others consider them necessary for a person. Wisdom teeth do not participate in the process of chewing food, for many people they never erupt in their entire life, since they occupy a horizontal position in the bone. Let us consider in more detail what and in what situations should be done with a wisdom tooth: remove or save.

Indications for the extraction of wisdom teeth

What to do with a wisdom tooth: pull out or leave, directly depending on its condition, position of the roots, the effect on the bite and adjacent molars. The main indications for removal include:

• pericoronaritis (inflammation of the adjacent tooth tissues at the eruption stage). This is a common complication of eights. A person has aching pains in the area of an erupting tooth, which eventually become acute. Chewing on the affected side becomes very problematic, pain appears even when opening the mouth. The “eight” is covered with an inflamed “hood”, from under which pus is often secreted. At the same time, the body temperature often rises;
• deformation of the dentition. It arises from the incorrect growth of the “eights”. Problems with the position of the molar are not only a cosmetic defect, but also the cause of the appearance of a number of diseases (for example, diseases of the temporomandibular joints, periodontal disease);
• cyst (a pathology in which seals form in the bone tissue of the jaw). Different types of cysts are capable of forming, while some of them are not accompanied by pronounced symptoms for a long time. As a result, they begin to occupy a large volume of bone tissue and affect adjacent molars. To avoid this, it is worthwhile to conduct an examination and removal of neoplasms in a timely manner;
• periostitis (flux). This complication appears against the background of the lack of treatment for perecoronitis. The inflammatory process begins to progress, affecting nearby tissues. As a result, there is inflammation of the periosteum, pus. A person begins to be bothered by severe pain, mucous membranes swell. The general condition is rapidly deteriorating, malaise is growing;
• unerupted (impacted) “eights”. They are located inside the gum tissue or bone tissue of the jaw and put pressure on the roots of adjacent molars. This can lead to malocclusion. At the same time, the impacted tooth is able to provoke an inflammatory process in the soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. In addition to removing impacted teeth, orthodontists advise removing even their rudiments.

Unfortunately, since wisdom teeth are located all the way on the back it’s not easy to brush them properly.  Often, pathological processes, for example, a carious lesion or a cyst, run latently for a long time, without pronounced symptoms. Severe soreness appears only during exacerbation, when removal is already more difficult, more often accompanied by complications. In order not to lead to this, it is worthwhile to carry out the extraction in a timely manner. Only a dentist can determine whether a pathological process is taking place in a tooth based on the clinical picture and diagnostic results.

 In what cases is it worth keeping wisdom teeth?

Many do not know what to do if caries are detected in a wisdom tooth, whether to keep it or pull it out right away. It all depends on the channels and its development. If the tooth is completely cut through, the canals are well passable, without curvatures, then it is possible to fill it with high quality.

Third molars have a very important advantage, because of which they are trying to be preserved. Erupting later than others, they are able to become a support for a bridge prosthesis (instead of decayed teeth). Without them, such a permanent prosthetics becomes possible only with the help of implantation of titanium pins. Also, third molars may be required for prosthetics if a person does not have the seventh tooth in front or both the sixth and the seventh are missing at once.

What is the difference between the removal of upper and lower wisdom teeth?

Tooth extraction in the upper jaw is easier, since the bone tissue is more porous and pliable. On the lower jaw, wisdom teeth have more branched roots, the bone tissue is denser, often the wisdom teeth have to be carefully “cut out”.

It is worth noting that the mandibular nerve is located on the lower jaw near the roots of the chewing teeth. There are cases when the roots of the wisdom teeth are located close to it, which can lead to complications, requiring increased caution on the part of a specialist. The proximity to anatomical formations can be easily determined in advance from a panoramic image. It happens that the extraction process takes 2-3 hours.

Regardless of which wisdom teeth were removed, special care is required after the operation. It is important to observe the healing of the hole so that no food debris gets into it. It is forbidden to consume too hot or cold drinks and food for the first 3 days. Oral hygiene can be started the next day after surgery.

Benefits of contacting Brickell Dental Care

Brickell Dental Care is a reliable dental clinic, the quality of treatment in which fully complies with American standards. There is a staff of experienced specialists who are ready to cope with any problem, in particular, affected wisdom teeth. At the initial appointment, the doctor will conduct an examination, if necessary, prescribe diagnostics and say with confidence whether it is possible to leave a wisdom tooth or it must be removed. The work uses modern equipment and quality materials.

The pricing policy of the clinic is loyal, the cost of the services provided is affordable (you can get more information on the price list on the website).

To make a dental appointment with a dentist, you can call.

(407) 989 99-99 or leave  your information at “ request form” and we will contact you as soon as possible.