Orthodontist Washington DC Helpful Tips About Wisdom Teeth
Many people who have an appointment scheduled to have their wisdom teeth removed become quite anxious and nervous about their upcoming dental procedure. To make sure that you are entirely comfortable in your dental appointment, here is some relevant information to know about wisdom teeth to better understand your procedure.
To begin, wisdom teeth are actually the third molars in your mouth. One of the main issues that people run into is that their wisdom teeth start to come in around the ages of 17 to 21, and their mouths do not have any room for them to grow. Normally, a mouth can hold up to 32 teeth, so depending upon your mouth size, there may not be any room for these third molars to grow in. In your dental appointment, your dentist will be able to determine if your mouth has room for your wisdom teeth by taking an x-ray of your teeth. In this case, you may need surgery to remove your wisdom teeth, so it is helpful to prepare yourself and better understand the entire treatment process.
Normally, wisdom teeth will be removed because they come in abnormally, and they may be twisted or sideways. Many people also experience the problem of their wisdom teeth staying trapped underneath their gums if there is not enough room for them to grow in. People in these situations normally have a problem with bacteria and plaque becoming trapped in their mouth to create an infection. As a worst-case scenario, the wisdom teeth could also become impacted in the mouth and cause the jaw to become misaligned. If you can’t reach back to brush your wisdom teeth as they grow in, this can also cause another problem with the development of poor hygiene and decay.
Wisdom teeth will be removed after the sedation of the patient. The oral surgeon will numb the mouth in the area that the wisdom teeth are located. If there is any bone or tissue covering up the wisdom teeth, that will also need to be removed during the oral surgery. From there, the wisdom teeth will also have to be loosened from any connecting tissue so that they can be pulled from the tooth socket. Once the wisdom teeth become loose, they will be removed with dental forceps. Many times, a dentist will use stitches to close up this tissue so that the mouth can better heal.
The point is that removing your wisdom teeth does not have to be an intimidating or scary process. If you have any questions at all, make sure to talk with your dentist in detail so that you are comfortable about your upcoming treatment. Often times, you will need your wisdom teeth removed right away if they are causing problems in your mouth, have become impacted, or are causing a bacterial infection. This will protect your mouth so that you don’t have to worry about your wisdom teeth becoming impacted to cause your other teeth to become crooked. If you do have pain in your teeth from your wisdom teeth growing in, you will need to make an appointment with your dentist to make sure that your mouth is in the best health.
