Remember the days when getting your wisdom teeth taken out was sort of a rite of passage? It seemed that once you reached your late teens, it was just one of those things you could expect to happen. And although many young people do need one or more of their wisdom teeth removed, it’s not necessary in every situation.
The truth is that not all wisdom teeth need to go, so let’s explore when you should arrange a check-up and what an extraction entails, as well as when you don’t need to worry about your wisdom teeth.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are also called third molars, as they are located at the back of your mouth. They’re the last molars to erupt, usually when you’re between the ages of 17 and 25. Early humans experienced significant tooth loss due to a lack of dental care, so these molars were essential for survival, allowing them to chew roots, nuts and raw meat.
Modern dentistry has made wisdom teeth unnecessary, so if they’re causing pain or oral health issues, it’s best to extract them.
Your Wisdom Tooth Assessment
At Lumino Smiles, we recommend a wisdom tooth evaluation when you’re in your late teens or early twenties; that gives us a chance to remove these third molars before the roots fully form.
During your assessment, we’ll take x-rays to determine whether your wisdom teeth could cause complications and create a treatment plan based on your needs.
When Extraction Might Be Necessary
Once we complete your wisdom tooth assessment, we can discuss whether we may need to extract one or more of your wisdom teeth.
Here are the most common reasons we might need to remove your wisdom teeth:
- Impaction — Your wisdom teeth can get trapped in your jawbone, leading to damage and other oral health issues. If this happens, we need to extract them.
- Partial eruption — To keep your teeth and gums healthy, it’s best to remove any wisdom teeth that are partially erupted. This helps us avoid gum infections (pericoronitis) and tooth decay.
- Crowding — Often, your wisdom teeth don’t have enough room to erupt, causing them to push against your other teeth. This can affect your bite and damage other permanent teeth, making extraction the best treatment option.
- Pain — We never want you to endure dental pain, so when your wisdom teeth are causing discomfort, it might be best to take them out. Once you heal, you won’t have to worry about any more pain.
Not All Wisdom Teeth Are an Issue
Sometimes, your wisdom teeth aren’t a concern, and it’s fine to leave them alone.
Our dental team won’t recommend extraction if your wisdom teeth are:
- Fully erupted — If your wisdom teeth erupt without issue and you can bite down properly, we won’t need to extract them.
- Easy to maintain — As long as you can properly brush and floss between your back teeth, there’s no need to remove your wisdom teeth. During regular check-ups, we’ll look for bacteria buildup in those areas.
- Healthy — When your wisdom teeth are cavity-free and there are no signs of periodontal disease, it’s fine to leave them alone.
- Comfortable — We don’t want your wisdom teeth to push against your other teeth and cause discomfort, so if they erupt without issue, we’ll monitor them without treatment.
The Extraction Procedure: What You Need to Know
Hearing that you need several extractions might make you feel anxious, and we understand your trepidation. However, wisdom tooth extraction is a common dental procedure, and if you have dental anxiety, we offer general anaesthesia/IV sedation so you can comfortably get the care you deserve.
Not only that, but with our Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) treatment, you could heal more quickly and have less chance of a dry socket after your procedure.
The steps for the extraction process are as follows:
- First, we’ll administer the IV sedation so you won’t feel anything or remember the procedure.
- For an impacted tooth, we’ll make a small incision in your gum tissue.
- If possible, we’ll remove the wisdom tooth in one piece, but sometimes we split the tooth into smaller pieces for easier removal.
- Once the tooth is removed, we’ll thoroughly clean the socket and place the fibrin membrane into your tooth socket.
- Then, we’ll close the area with one or two stitches.
- For more than one extraction, we’ll repeat the process, always monitoring your vital signs and ensuring your comfort.
Questions About Wisdom Tooth Removal in Pascoe Vale, VIC?
If you’d like to learn more about what happens during a wisdom tooth extraction, or if you need to arrange a dental visit at our Pascoe Vale clinic, we’ll happily assist you! At Lumino Smiles, your oral health is our top priority, so if your wisdom teeth are causing discomfort or threatening your smile’s functionality, we’re here to help.
You can call us on (03) 8338 1440 to book a consultation or appointment.
We hope to hear from you soon.