Are you wondering: When should my wisdom teeth be removed? Keep reading and learn much more about wisdom tooth removal here.
Did you know that around 10 million wisdom teeth
are removed every year? That number begs the question, "Should I go to a dentist near me to get my wisdom teeth removed?" Of course, not everyone needs to have these teeth removed, but how can you know if you need to have yours removed or not?
This article will aim to teach you everything you need to know about wisdom teeth, particularly impacted wisdom teeth, and what you should do about them. With this information, you'll be able to decide whether you should visit a dentist in Stockton or not.
To start off our discussion, let's take a closer look at what wisdom teeth are and what kind of problems they can cause.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are also known as your third molars and come in at the very back of your mouth. Any Stockton CA dentist will be able to tell you that some wisdom teeth come in fine for some people while others can develop incorrectly and cause problems. As long as your wisdom teeth are healthy and do not cause any pain when you try to chew or talk, there should be no reason to remove them.
In fact, the original purpose of wisdom teeth is to help you chew better. However, in the more recent centuries, human mouths have gotten much smaller. Because of this, many people do not have enough room in their mouth for wisdom teeth to develop as they should.
This can cause wisdom teeth to erupt in the wrong position. For example, instead of the roots of the wisdom teeth pointing downward and the crowns pointing upward, the teeth may be sideways or diagonal. When wisdom teeth are positioned diagonally, they may partially emerge from your gums.
The best dentist in Stockton, CA, will tell you that this is a problem for your nearby molars. This is because of how your wisdom teeth will likely be growing into your molars. This could cause pain and can lead to your other teeth becoming crowded or damaged.
Your wisdom teeth may not erupt at all. Wisdom teeth that don't erupt can also cause problems. When wisdom teeth don't come in, this means that your jaw doesn't have enough room to allow the teeth to erupt.
This can lead to the wisdom teeth becoming trapped in the bone of your jaw. In some people, this may not be a cause for concern, but for others, an infection may form and cause damage to the jaw bone or tooth roots.
What Should You Do About Wisdom Teeth?
If you're wondering, "Do I need to visit a dental office near me if my wisdom teeth don't bother me?" the answer can vary. Even if your wisdom teeth came in normally, the answer often depends on if you can clean your wisdom teeth or not. This is because, since wisdom teeth are so far back in the mouth, they can be hard to clean.
Because of this, bacteria and food particles can often gather around wisdom teeth and increase your risk of tooth decay. Some dentists may recommend taking out fully developed wisdom teeth to prevent this problem, although this is not always necessary. If you can reach your wisdom teeth with a toothbrush and floss, you may not need to worry about them at all.
What if your wisdom teeth haven't fully emerged? Should you visit the dentist, Stockton, CA, then? Many dentists do recommend that you take these wisdom teeth out. This is because they can cause more serious complications later even if they don't bother you now.
Any dentist in Stockton, CA, will also tell you that it is better to have your wisdom teeth removed when you are younger rather than when you are older. Wisdom teeth tend to come in (or not) between the ages of 17 and 25. It is better to have them removed when you are younger because the bone of your jaw is able to heal easier.
As you age, your bones become harder and take longer to heal. You should also consider going to a dental office in Stockton, CA if you experience pain, redness, or swelling around the area of your wisdom teeth. These are common symptoms that there is something wrong with your wisdom teeth and that they should be removed.
The Wisdom Tooth Removal Procedure
Removing your wisdom teeth
should take less than an hour to complete. If your teeth are severely impacted or deeply rooted in your jaw bone, the procedure may take a bit longer. Your doctor may give you laughing gas or may administer general anesthesia to render you unconscious during the procedure so you won't feel any pain.
Depending on how much your wisdom teeth have emerged, your dentist may need to cut your gum and even your bone in order to get a hold of your wisdom teeth. If this is the case, once the teeth are removed, the cut gums will be sewn shut. This will ensure that they heal as they should.
To minimize any bleeding, gauze may be placed at the back of your mouth. After the procedure, you will recover from whatever pain killer was administered to you. More likely than not, you will be too drowsy to drive and will need someone to drive you home.
You may experience some pain and swelling during the first days of your recovery. You can minimize this by using ice packs and eating soft foods until your mouth heals.
Going to a Dentist Near Me to Remove Wisdom Teeth
By the end of this article, you should no longer be asking, "Do I need to have my wisdom teeth removed by a dentist near me?" Instead, you should know all about wisdom teeth and when you should have them removed.
To learn more, don't hesitate to
explore our website.
