A Word About Wisdom Teeth

For some people,it’s wisest to get rid of them

Wisdom Tooth Woes

An impacted wisdom tooth can cause pain and swelling. It can also push on adjacent teeth, crowding or damaging them.

The chipmunk cheeks, the liquid diet—having wisdom teeth extracted has become a rite of passage to young adulthood. “Wisdom teeth (third molars) are the last to come in, and usually there’s not enough room in your jaw,” says Mark Grim, D.M.D., oral surgeon at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. If these teeth erupt only partially through the gum, food particles and bacteria can get trapped, causing infection. If they become impacted, a cyst can form around the tooth.

“Even if you seem to have enough room for wisdom teeth, problems often develop later,” Grim says. As they erupt, wisdom teeth can gradually push other teeth out of alignment—in some cases, undoing years of orthodontia. They also tend to be hard to clean, resulting in decay and periodontal (gum) problems.

If your jaw can accommodate wisdom teeth and you can keep them healthy and clean, you may not need them removed. If extraction is necessary, it’s best done while you’re young, ideally age 15-19. When you’re older, bone is denser and teeth more firmly anchored, making extraction difficult and recovery longer.

Most extractions are done in the oral surgeon’s office with intravenous and local anesthetic. The surgeon makes an incision, folds back the gum and extracts the tooth, which sometimes needs to come out in sections. Then the incision is closed with dissolving stitches, and you’re given medications to prevent infection and minimize pain and swelling. Removing all four wisdom teeth at once gives you only one exposure to anesthetic and one recovery period.

You may have heard of “dry socket,” a complication that occurs when a blood clot either fails to form or is dislodged from the socket of the extracted tooth. Smokers, people over 30 and women who take oral contraceptives are at higher risk for this condition, which is easily treated with a medicated dressing.

Most people don’t experience any complications and return to school or work in three to five days. The gum heals completely in two to three weeks. “The whole process is streamlined to be as painless and safe as possible,” Grim says.

Want to Know More about wisdom teeth? Call 610-402-CARE.

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