Wisdom tooth emergencies: what you need to know

Wisdom teeth can be quite problematic because for many people, there is not enough room in the jaw for your wisdom teeth to push through the gums and fully emerge.

Wisdom teeth can push the other teeth in the jaw together, causing crowding, which not only interferes with the bite, but leads to potential infection problems in the mouth.

Also known as Third Molars, wisdom teeth do not push through the gums until your late teens or early ‘20s. They are the very last teeth to come through your gums.

Wisdom teeth pain

IMPORTANT: if you are currently experiencing pain around your jaw and feel that your wisdom tooth or teeth may be the culprit of the problem, contact Dentistry Plus ASAP.

Common cause of wisdom teeth problems: As wisdom teeth are at the far back of your mouth, it is most likely neglected to be cleaned properly, causing plaque to settle on the gum lines. Once this settles for a long period of time, it can either develop into decay or gum recession. As wisdom teeth are less likely to provide any function in chewing food, it is advised to just have these taken out.

For aesthetic purposes like settling in for orthodontic treatments, it is likely to have wisdom teeth taken out to provide more space to properly align crooked teeth.

OPG or panoramic x-ray

When visiting a dentist regarding your wisdom teeth, an important part of the consultation is having an OPG or panoramic x-ray taken which will show the full mouth. This type of x-ray can assess all four wisdom teeth with one single film, making it cost-effective if the patient may need further assessment down the track regarding other wisdom teeth. It is also a handy procedure because this one x-ray can provide an overall examination of all the patient’s teeth, so in the future any dentist can reference the film for any further treatment required.

Most dentists prefer not to extract their patients’ wisdom teeth, preferring instead to refer their patients onto an oral surgeon. However, the first step is always to have a consultation a dentist. If you feel that you would like to discuss your wisdom teeth with a dentist, contact us today and arrange an appointment.

Dentistry Plus – your family dentist and cosmetic dentistry experts

Suspect you may need your wisdom teeth removed?

At Dentistry Plus, we offer fixed prices for our wisdom teeth removal services