The average adult has thirty-two teeth by age eighteen: sixteen teeth on the top and sixteen teeth on the bottom.

However, the average mouth is usually made to hold only 28 teeth. It can be painful when 32 teeth try to fit in a mouth that holds only 28 teeth. These four other teeth are your Third Molars, also known as "wisdom teeth."

Why Should I Remove My Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt within the mouth. When they align properly, and gum tissue is healthy, wisdom teeth do not have to be removed. Unfortunately, this does not generally happen. The extraction of wisdom teeth is advised when they are prevented from properly erupting within the mouth. They may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gum, even remain trapped beneath the gum and bone.

These poorly positioned impacted teeth may cause many problems. When they are incompletely erupted, the opening around the tooth allows bacteria to grow and will eventually cause an infection. The result - swelling, stiffness, pain and illness. These bacteria also secrete enzymes which cause bone loss around the teeth in front of wisdom teeth. The pressure from the erupting wisdom tooth may occasionally move other teeth and disrupt the orthodontic or natural alignment of teeth. Tumors or cysts may form around the impacted wisdom tooth, resulting in the destruction of the jaw bone and healthy teeth. Removal of the offending impacted tooth or teeth usually resolves these problems. Early removal is recommended to avoid such future problems and to decrease the surgical risk involved with the procedure.

Avoiding Complications in the Removal of Wisdom Teeth

When patients with impacted wisdom teeth wait until symptoms appear before having them removed, the risk of complications is often increased.

Our practice of oral and maxillofacial surgeons considers timely evaluation of impacted and unerupted teeth to occur between the ages of 15 and 18, when the usual result of treatment is uncomplicated healing with no morbidity. While the risk of post-operative complications associated with wisdom teeth removal is quite low, the complication rate increases with the age of the patient. Patients over the age of 18 develop complications and pathological conditions with increasing frequency:

• recurring infection
• resorption of adjacent functional teeth
• carious lesions of adjacent teeth
• periodontal abnormalities (gum problems)
• orthodontic abnormalities (tooth alignment problems)
• weakening of the bone
• development of numerous types of cysts and tumors
• increased threat to nerves and sinuses
• increased risk of numbness to lip and chin

Based upon these findings, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons consider timely wisdom tooth removal an aspect of preventative dentistry. Also, many dentists now consider wisdom teeth as developmental anomalies because 20-30 % of our population are born without one or more wisdom teeth. Waiting for impacted and unerupted teeth to cause pain or complex clinical complications results only in more extensive and costly treatment.

Oral Examination

With an oral examination and x-rays of the mouth, your Doctor can evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth and predict if there may be present or future problems. Studies have shown that early evaluation and treatment result in a superior outcome for the patient. Patients are generally first evaluated in the mid- teenage years by their dentist, orthodontist or by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

All outpatient surgery can be performed with a selection of anesthesia techniques. Your doctor has the training, license and experience to provide various types of anesthesia to allow patients to select the best alternative. These services are provided in an environment of optimum safety, utilizing modern monitoring equipment and certified staff experienced in anesthesia techniques.