wisdom teeth removal

Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars in the back of your mouth that usually come in between the ages of 17 and 25. Most people have wisdom teeth removed because they are impacted, come in at a wrong angle, or your jaw doesn't have enough room to accommodate a an extra set of molars.
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Do Wisdom Teeth Cause Problems?

You’re more likely to have issues with wisdom teeth than with any other teeth. Each year, over 10 million wisdom teeth are removed, or extracted. A top reason is impaction, when the tooth may not have enough room to come out from the gum like it should.

​Impacted wisdom teeth can result in pain, damage to other teeth, and other dental problems. Since wisdom teeth are hard to clean, they may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease than other teeth are. Removing wisdom teeth early on in life is important because waiting until you're older can make the removal process more difficult due to the bone being harder and the roots are longer.

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dentist vs. oral surgeon?

Is it necessary to have an oral surgeon remove your wisdom teeth, or can you go to your dentist?  Most general dentists are qualified to remove teeth, and many do perform simple extractions. However, when it comes to removing the wisdom teeth, most dentists refer their patients to an oral surgeon.
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Oral surgeons are actually dentists who also have completed an additional 4-6 years of extensive specialty training in hospital-based residency programs that are accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA). And the core of their training is in the removal of wisdom teeth. A general dentist's bread and butter is fillings and crowns, and an oral surgeon's core is the removal of wisdom teeth. 

Therefore, when choosing a doctor to remove your wisdom teeth, it is important to have a highly trained specialist like an oral surgeon. This allows for a more comfortable, safer, and predictable procedure along with a quicker recovery. At infinity implant and sedation dentistry we offer an in house oral surgeon so that you can have the most comfortable, predictable, and affordable option right here.

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Do my wisdom teeth
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​Have to be removed?

Not removing impacted wisdom teeth can lead to a variety of issues including:

• ​Damage to other teeth - If the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the second molar or increase the risk of infection in that area. This pressure can also cause problems with crowding of the other teeth or require orthodontic treatment to straighten other teeth.
• Cysts - The wisdom tooth develops in a sac within the jawbone. The sac can fill with fluid, forming a cyst that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves. Rarely, a tumor — usually noncancerous (benign) — develops. This complication may require removal of tissue and bone.
• Decay - Partially impacted wisdom teeth appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay (caries) than other teeth. This probably occurs because wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because food and bacteria get easily trapped between the gum and a partially erupted tooth.
• Gum disease - The difficulty cleaning impacted, partially erupted wisdom teeth increases the risk of developing a painful, inflammatory gum condition called pericoronitis in that area.

SOURCES:
MayoClinic.org: "Impacted Wisdom Teeth"; American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons on March 9, 2015
WebMD.com: "Wisdom Teeth Removal: What Adults Should Expect"; Reviewed by Evan Frisbee, DMD on October 31, 2021

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