Wisdom Teeth Extractions in Edmonton

Wisdom Teeth Extractions in Edmonton

FOR LONG TERM ORAL HEALTH

If you’re in your late teens or early twenties and you are feeling discomfort in the back quadrants of your mouth, you could be experiencing those sensations because your wisdom teeth are emerging. For those whom the term wisdom tooth is far too gentle given the discomfort they can cause, they are also known as the third molars. Despite the difficulties that can be caused by wisdom teeth, your dentist is well-equipped to help you manage your discomfort and extract the teeth if they are deemed problematic in their placement or condition.

Common Issues

Since the wisdom teeth are the last teeth to emerge and are the furthest back and hardest to access, it is not uncommon for complications to result. Impactions are common with wisdom teeth since the dental arches often struggle to accommodate these large teeth with substantial root systems. As these teeth fight for position along the gumline, they often become impacted meaning that they do not fully emerge from the gums the way the rest of the teeth have. Impactions can vary by type and severity.

How Wisdom Teeth Emerge

Some wisdom teeth remain impacted in the bone structure of the mouth and never emerge beyond the bone while others will emerge beyond the bone and partially into the gum tissue. Some wisdom teeth emerge successfully from the gumline but remain partially covered by gum tissue. These teeth are particularly subject to infection and re-infection as a result of food debris and bacteria packing beneath the portion of the tooth covered in tissue. Finally, in cases where wisdom teeth do successfully emerge and assume their position along the dental arches, they can often cause crowding which can put orthodontic alignment at risk.

Dentigerous Cysts

Wisdom teeth also sometimes develop what are known as dentigerous cysts. These cysts become larger and more damaging over time, beginning as a small balloon-like structure near the tips of the roots. Although these cysts may announce themselves by producing a marked shift in neighboring teeth or by swelling on one side of the jaw, dentigerous cysts are also commonly asymptomatic (symptomless). In these cases, what began as a small balloon-like structure can begin to inflate with fluid overtime and overtake the bone and root structure of neighboring tissues. Since these cysts are present below the gumline they are only visible by means of digital X-ray. Therefore, it is important to continue to see your dentist for routine preventive maintenance appointments as well as regular checkups so that potential issues such as dentigerous cysts can be identified and proactively treated before they are able to impact other teeth or bone structures.

Removing Wisdom Teeth

The placement of the wisdom teeth themselves make them difficult to access for effective brushing and flossing. Decay in wisdom teeth is more common and is more concerning in wisdom teeth, since their substantial roots can extend into the sinus cavities in some cases and increase the potential for infection to spread to other areas of the body. The upper wisdom teeth can present challenges for removal when root systems are connected to the sinus cavity and may require packing to ensure that the teeth are removed safely. The lower wisdom teeth should be digitally examined before extraction to assess the position of the root system and their relationship to the primary nerve along the lower mandible. In some cases, removing wisdom teeth whose roots are wrapped around the nerve are referred to dental surgeons for removal since this presents a more complicated extraction process. In most cases, however, extracting a wisdom tooth is able to be done in a clinical dental setting under local anesthetic.

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