Wisdom teeth: a complete guide about the problems and care.

Let's know more about wisdom tooth

At around 18-25 years, the last molars erupt in one’s mouth. The third molar also known as wisdom tooth. These are four in number and are located in each corner of the mouth behind the second molars. They may resemble a regular molar with number of roots ranging from 1 to 4. Sometimes they may resemble premolars. Their location in mouth makes their care and treatment complicated.

Difference between wisdom tooth and impacted wisdom tooth?

While a few people may not experience any pain while their eruption; some people may experience lot of pain, swelling and sometimes even fever during their eruption. Many patients may show no signs of eruption of third molar at all for years their entire life as these teeth may be impacted harmlessly deep in jawbone. Wisdom teeth have a limited area and bony external oblique ridge to be able to erupt fully in mouth and hence sometimes they end up erupting partially or completely impacted. The partial impaction mostly leads to food accumulation leading to gum swelling (pericoronitis).

What are the problems faced with wisdom tooth?

Common problems faced by a patient with impacted wisdom tooth are:

1. Pain radiating to lower and upper jaw.
2. Swelling of gum overlying tooth.
3. Untreated cases of pericoronitis can lead to pain radiating to head, temples and ears.
4. It may lead to facial swelling.
5. Fever and chills are commonly noted due to infection.
6. Difficulty in chewing.
7. Cavity in wisdom teeth.
8. Cavity in second molar or resorption of second molars.

How to avoid cavity in wisdom tooth?

To avoid cavity in wisdom teeth, visit your dentist regularly for a regular check up as it is difficult for a patient to assess the condition of wisdom teeth due to their location.Also, while brushing upper third molars, try to close your mouth to allow the brush head to reach end portion of the mouth without much resistance from muscles.

Reasons to lose a wisdom tooth?

Most common reason to lose your wisdom tooth is its location in jaw that is not allowing it to eruption to level of occlusion.Partially impacted or fully impacted molars may lead to cyst in future. It’s better to get the impacted wisdom tooth removed.

Cavity in wisdom teeth may also lead to wisdom tooth removal as it is difficult to perform root canal treatment in wisdom tooth owing to various factors such as location in mouth, accessibility of instruments, patient’s mouth opening, gag response, etc.

Is it necessary to remove both wisdom teeth at one side?

It is a commonly asked question and missed point by many dentists and patients. It may be due to the increase in treatment cost or the fear of pain or lack of patient education that may sometimes can make dentist and patient hesitant towards removal of both the wisdom teeth on side at same time.

If only one wisdom tooth is remainingon one side and the other one in opposing jaw is absent, then it is better to remove it.

However, if in occlusion, its better to remove both upper and lower wisdom teeth of the affected side at the same time to reduce the complication of pathological migration of the retained wisdom tooth.

Whom to visit for wisdom tooth removal?

For the wisdom tooth removal, one can visit an oral surgeon or a general dentist who has an experience in managing these cases. AMD Dental Clinic has Dr. Mili Gupta on board who is very experienced in wisdom tooth removal. Hence, if you want removal of wisdom teeth, visit AMD Dental Clinic, which is the best dental clinic in Jaipur for wisdom teeth removal.

Tooth extraction (wisdom tooth removal) is a common minor surgical procedure.

Common reasons to lose a tooth

Your dentist may advise you for tooth removal in following situations:

1. Grossly decayed tooth that can be treated by root canal treatment
2. Mobile tooth
3. Therapeutic extraction for orthodontic treatment
4. Impacted teeth (wisdom tooth removal, impacted canine, etc)
5. Supernumerary tooth

What is the procedure for tooth removal?

any tooth extraction begins with a sure diagnosis and treatment planning based on clinical and radiological findings.