Your dental health means a great deal to us and when you take our advice the chances are that your smile will live longer and brighter. All too often, San Diego residents question the need for wisdom tooth extraction in young adults and while it is arguable that wisdom teeth may not give you problems in the present. However, wisdom teeth are an issue when they are misaligned or partially erupt to the surface of the gums. Not every patient may need their wisdom teeth removed, but they can develop moderate to severe health issues if extraction is not performed.
For patients who may not know what they are, wisdom teeth are the third molars located in the upper and lower teeth at the back of our mouths. These teeth are typically the last to develop and usually grow in an awkward position and do not serve a purpose for a fully functional set of teeth. A cosmetic dentist San Diego will analyze and review a patient’s jaw structure in order to prevent impacted teeth from emerging or causing issues from a firmly rooted jaw bone. We believe that it is better for our patients to undergo wisdom tooth extraction before the age of 25 in order to prevent the following issues:
Overcrowding
Many patients if not all patients have smaller mouths and jaws compared to previous generations, which do not allow enough room for a third molar to grow and rest properly. If the teeth do erupt on their own, overcrowding will occur and the patient’s teeth will begin to shift or overlap each other. Thus, wisdom teeth eruption will force continued orthodontic care to adjust the shift in teeth.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When wisdom teeth are impacted they are pretty much trapped below the gum line. Impacted wisdom teeth can be painful in patients and make them more prone to abscess and infection. Thus, the longer that impacted teeth remain in the gums is the higher potential of decay in healthy teeth.
Tooth Decay
It is possible for wisdom teeth to grow properly in place with the rest of a patient’s teeth, but the location they are in makes proper dental hygiene more difficult. The extra teeth can lead to significant growth of bacteria in the back of the teeth which will require extraction later in life. Full-grown wisdom teeth will require close monitoring since wisdom teeth are subject to decay.
What is A Wisdom Tooth Abscess?
As mentioned before, if a patient does not act and remove wisdom teeth, they are likely to develop what is known as an abscess. An abscess develops when bacteria in the mouth are able to access the tooth’s pulp and create an infection that spreads to the bone and throughout the body. Wisdom teeth themselves are particularly more susceptible to abscesses because it is far more difficult to keep the rearmost location of the jaw free of any bacteria. This makes all the more reason to consult with a cosmetic dentist in San Diego.
According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 90 percent of dental patients experience at least one impacted wisdom tooth, which should be extracted at an early age of adulthood. Wisdom tooth extraction by an oral surgeon, especially during teenage years is recommended because the roots in wisdom teeth are shorter and not solidified, which minimizes pain and discomfort. Additionally, younger dental patients will recover more quickly following the extraction procedure.
For the most trusted wisdom tooth extraction San Diego residents choose most often, schedule a consultation at East Lake Dentistry.
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