Wisdom Teeth - Amazing Dental Solutions

Wisdom Teeth

What are Wisdom teeth and what does it mean if they are impacted?

We get three sets of molars during our lifetime – the first molars arrive at age six, the second will arrive at age 12, and the third molars will often present during our late teens and early twenties. As our third molars generally erupt during the time when we are transitioning into adulthood, we refer to the “third molars” as “wisdom teeth”.

Our mouths are typically designed to hold 28 teeth, not 32. Patients often find that by the time their wisdom teeth start to grow, those 28 spaces are already filled. This crowding can make it difficult for wisdom teeth to grow in properly and ultimately results in them not being able to erupt through the gums. You may hear the term “impacted wisdom tooth”. Impacted wisdom teeth can grow in sideways, backwards, titled, or even completely underneath the surface of your bone. There are generally three types of wisdom tooth impaction described below.

Soft Tissue:
The top portion of your tooth has made its way through your bone, but has not erupted fully through your gums.

Partial Bony:
Your tooth is still mainly inside of your bone, but maybe a small part of it has erupted.

Full Bony:
Your entire tooth is still buried beneath the surface of your bone. This are the most difficult teeth to remove.

Why would impacted wisdom teeth cause me any problems?

If you are not feeling any pain, it does not mean you are in the clear! A lot can happen below the gum line or at a slow enough rate that it is hard to detect. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause crowding which can ruin years worth of braces or aligners and cost thousands of dollars to correct. Infection and damage to nearby by teeth are also major problems caused by impacted wisdom teeth.

If you still have your wisdom teeth, do not panic. Your semi-annual hygiene and exam appointments will be able to detect the following symptoms before they become a real problem.

Swollen jaw
Problems swallowing
Red, irritated gums
Periodic jaw pain
Crowding or shifting of teeth

“Crowding” or shifting of teeth

Damage to nearby teeth.

Red, irritated gums.

Cysts that can destroy bone.

This sounds scary, can I be sedated?

We want every visit to Amazing Dental Solutions to be a positive experience and are constantly striving to deliver unparalleled care to our patients. Intravenous Sedation (IV Sedation) is offered in-house, so patients can simply take a long nap during their appointment.

Known as “sleep dentistry,” this means that you can now have dental work done in total comfort as you sleep through any procedure. We understand that many of our patients fear going to the dentist, so we’ve brought this
innovative technology to our office.

You can relax throughout your appointment and know that you’re in the compassionate hands of Amazing Dental Solutions professionals without the anxiety or stress of going to the dentist. Whether you’re seeing us for a filling, crown, extraction or dental implant, try IV Sedation or one of our other safe sedation dentistry methods at your next appointment.