Wisdom Teeth Extractions Diagnosis Treatment Post Operative Pain Symptoms Supereruption Issues Impaction Perio Disease

Home	Map	Ask The Dentist	FAQ's	Polls	Procedure Research	Consultants	News	Schools	Directories	Jobs	Library
Click HERE to use Dental Health Search to Find a Dentist or more Dentistry research information

Dentist Finder

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
WashingtonDC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Dental Health Library Article

Wisdom Teeth - Extraction Surgery

Video: Molar - Wisdom Tooth Extractions
Video: Immediate Jaw, Gum and Mouth Pain Symptom Relief
Wisdom Teeth FAQ

Wisdom tooth removal is a scary and often misunderstood procedure.

People have fear of the procedure, don't want to remove anything from their bodies or undergo unnecessary surgery.... so why do it?

If a dentist has recommended extraction it is usually because there is not enough room for these teeth in your mouth and leaving them will result in an increased incidence of potential pain, swelling and periodontal disease.

Wisdom teeth that are impacted are stuck in the bone either completely or incompletely and they can trap food as they are very difficult to reach and clean if not impossible. If a sac around a tooth becomes filled with fluid they can become cysts which are invasive and can undermine or destroy good jaw bone.

They can become so hollowed out that an elbow to the jaw can result in catastrophic fracture. If these sacs are removed the bone will regenerate by itself. These cysts which are usually called dentigerous cysts are usually benign but can become malignant and invasive requiring extensive surgery for some unfortunate people.

It is also reported in the literature that after age 50 about 50% of follicles around wisdom teeth contained a tumor. The American Academy of Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) has published new research studies indicating that about one in three individuals with an impacted tooth can expect to have a tumor or cyst in soft tissues that surround the teeth deep in the jaw.

As a general rule, wisdom teeth should be removed when they become problematic. Waiting for conditions to reach "intolerability" will usually require more medications and pain issues. Wisdom teeth extraction is typically more difficult with older patients, compared to young patients.

Roots can become extremely long and can become wrapped around the nerve in the lower jaw. These difficult extractions can cause lip and tongue numbness from bruising or trauma during the extraction surgery.

It is also a documented fact that if wisdom teeth can add to periodontal gum disease (which has been linked to cardiac problems and other health problems), the removal of these teeth can decrease systemic infection of bacterial oral origin.

While it has not been proven that wisdom teeth lead to crowding of remaining teeth it is nonetheless promulgated by dentists and orthodontists alike as andectotal. Relapse of Orthodontic treatment has more to do with not wearing retainers than it does with mesial drift or shifting caused by wisdom teeth trying to erupt.

Should wisdom teeth be removed in pairs?

It is the standard of care to remove opposing sets of wisdom teeth. Upper wisdom teeth reside in soft bone - they are easily removed and if left will definitely supererrupt or grow into the space of the missing wisdom tooth.

Removing wisdom teeth pairs will decrease trips to dentist and post operative pain. After all if you are really sore from lower extractions and a little sore from uppers, by taking a top with a bottom - they are done and you don't have to go through this procedure again in a few years.

It may not make sense but the supererruption will increase food impaction on a good upper second molar. A wisdom tooth 10 mm. lower than second molar: crestal bone comes with the tooth as it supererupts - hence perio pockets, food impaction and decay.

For wisdom tooth extraction the best advice is to remove them at the FIRST sign of problems Not the last!

Wisconsin Reconstructive Implant Dentistry
Richard Winter, DDS MAGD
Winter Dental Associates
5323 W. Hampton Avenue
Milwaukee Wisconsin WI 53218
(414) 464-9021

Ask a Question

[Home] [Ask The Dentist] [FAQ's] [Polls] [Consultants] [Directories] [Employment] [Library]
Contact the Editor
Dental Health Directory
Ask The Dentist
Featured in

Dental Pros and Cons

Videos
Pictures Photos
New Products
What Is FAGD - MAGD?
Bad Teeth Gums Gallery
Oral Lesion Laser
Free Treatment
Best Dentist???
Medication Chart
Minimally Invasive
Insurance Plans
Financing
Health Loans
Bridgework
Wisdom Tooth
Extraction Surgery
State of the Art Implants
Pediatric Phobia's
Sleep Apnea
Childrens Dental Disease
Orthodontic Migraines
CPAP Stop Snoring
Sedation Types
EKG Pulse Monitor
Gag Reflex
Xerostomia - Dry Mouth
Bad Breath Causes
Thinning Teeth Enamel
Loose Crowns
Tooth Enamel Repair
Denture Relining
Amalgam Fillings
Bargain Dentures
Gingivitis Contagious?
Periodontal Surgery
Photo Gallery
Implant Failures
Root Canal Pain
Broken RCT Files
Implant Socket Grafts
Black - Brown Gums
Pink Gingiva Laser
Immediate Dentures
Oral Surgery
Tooth Extractions
RCT - Root Canals
Unnecessary Extraction
Gum Reshaping
Gummy Orthodontics
Crown Facts
Avoiding Failures
SimPlant
Surgery Guides
Teeth In An Hour
3-D Imaging
Osseointegration
Headache Pain
RF Thermoneurolosis
Depression TMJ
Gum Disease
Gums - Bone Grafting
Gold Crowns
Good - Bad Veneers
Diastema Tooth Gaps
Bite - Occlusion
Jawbone Density
TMJ Pain?
Occlusal Physics
Whitening Myths
Demineralized Enamel
Sealants
Occlusion Splints
Enamel Damage
Receding Gums
Implants Explained
One Day Implant
Mini Implants
Virtual Dentistry
Makeover Videos
Dental Boards

Doctor Resources

Marketing
Training
Equipment
Labs
Free Job Listings