Patients who have anxiety regarding dental procedures might find some comfort in knowing that not all patients get wisdom teeth and those that do might not need to be removed. Wisdom teeth begin to erupt through the gums when most patients are 17 years old. Many times, when they do erupt, they enter the oral cavity at a proper angle and develop correctly without altering the other teeth in the patient’s mouth. However, those cases are not typical. Most of the time, they come in at odd angles, or become impacted, or change the other teeth and how they look. In some patients, this can become painful. Here at Ranches Family Dental we can determine whether a patient’s wisdom teeth need to be removed. Contact us for more information.

Do We Need Wisdom Teeth?

When coming in for bi-annual cleanings, our professional staff track the eruption of wisdom teeth by monitoring the X-rays taken. They will ensure the eruptions do not affect the rest of the patient’s teeth. Even though wisdom teeth extractions are very common, they are designed to come in correctly like the rest of the adult teeth.

Many times, the teeth come in correctly but there isn’t enough room to accept them. The other teeth in the mouth will resist being moved by the new wisdom teeth. Sometimes a patient’s wisdom teeth can become impacted when they start to come in. Due to the limited room in the oral cavity, some wisdom teeth are unable to completely erupt, allowing only small sections of them to be visible. It is important to remove the teeth at that point, so they do not damage the patient’s other teeth.

Why Remove Them?

When wisdom teeth are impacted, we need to remove them as soon as possible so other more involved complications do not occur. The longer they remain impacted the more there is a chance for infection and the more difficult their removal becomes. Because they can erupt at strange angles—in some cases at the back of the second molar or in others toward the jawbone—it complicates things. Growing in the direction of the throat, many patients report experiencing excruciating pain.

In other cases, the wisdom teeth can enter perpendicular to the rest of the patient’s natural teeth. They appear on X-rays as if they are upside down. Sometimes, the teeth can grow directly vertical but be trapped inside the jawbone which requires cutting deep into the bone to extract them. Other times, they can grow through the roof of the mouth because there simply is not room to allow them to properly erupt.

While the wisdom teeth extraction process is rather common, each patient’s situation is unique. That is why it is extremely important for our staff to properly evaluate each patient to determine what the best course of treatment is. It is oftentimes considered the best option available. If you have pain and suspect it might be wisdom teeth erupting, please contact us at Ranches Family Dental. You are always welcome to call us as well at this number (385) 374-0500. We can always schedule an examination at your convenience.