Wisdom Teeth are the third
and final set in the series of molars that one receives sometime between the
late teens and early twenties. When these teeth are healthy, and in proper
alignment, they can be very beneficial to your dental health and well being. However,
most often this is not the case, and they require prompt removal.
The misalignment of wisdom teeth can appear in multiple ways.
For example, the teeth can be positioned horizontally, inward, or outward. Poor
alignment of wisdom teeth can negatively impact other teeth in your mouth, as
well as your jawbone, or surrounding nerves. The level of severity and
complication involved with your wisdom teeth depends on their positioning in
your mouth, as well as the way they interact with the other structures within
the mouth.
Wisdom teeth can also become impacted. This occurs when the
tooth cannot break through the soft tissue, or only comes through partially.
The partial eruption of this tooth creates an opening for bacteria to enter,
and infection to occur. This leads to serious pain, swelling, and jaw
stiffness. Impacted wisdom teeth are also prone to tooth decay and gum disease,
due to their hard to reach location affecting their cleaning.
Your dentist through x-rays, and then additional evaluation by
an oral surgeon diagnoses wisdom teeth. Your dentist or oral surgeon may
recommend removing your wisdom teeth before problems occur, to avoid serious
pain or complications in the future.
If you are experiencing trouble with wisdom teeth, it is in your
best interest to find yourself an experienced dentist whom you can trust and
rely on to get you back to proper dental health. For this, contact the office of Dr. Aki Shirakura, where our experienced team cares about the health and well being
of your smile.