Wisdom Teeth
Some wisdom teeth erupt normally and become useful teeth.
Often, there is insufficient space for the wisdom teeth to erupt properly, and they become impacted.
Impacted teeth can be a source of infection, especially when they are partially erupted, with part of the tooth having broken out of the bone. These infections can vary from very mild, lasting only a few days, to life-threatening infections that can require immediate surgical intervention.
Impacted wisdom teeth can also damage the teeth into which they are impacting.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause decay in the tooth in front of them. Often, this results in the loss of both teeth. Timely removal of the wisdom teeth can prevent this unnecessary tooth loss.
Cyst around an impacted wisdom tooth. Cysts can cause severe destruction of the jaw bone if left untreated. Regular periodic radiographs should be taken to ensure that cysts are not forming around unerupted wisdom teeth.
Some wisdom teeth can be safely removed in the dental chair under local anaesthetic. The more severely impacted teeth and teeth that appear to be very close to the nerve in the bone are usually referred to a maxillo-facial oral surgeon for extraction, often under general anaesthetic.
With every extraction of a lower wisdom tooth there is potential risk of injury to the nerve. This injury may be as mild as ‘bruising’ of the nerve resulting in some altered sensation than might last from a few hours to a few months or the nerve can be severed or crushed resulting in permanent numbness of the lower lip on that side. Fortunately, such misfortunes are extremely rare.
Not all impacted wisdom teeth have to be removed, especially those which have not penetrated out of the bone at all.
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Whether your dental care needs are a regular dental check-up or you require more comprehensive dental care, the team at our dental practice will do our best to provide you with the best possible advice and care.
Want more information about our dental practice?
For more information about our dental practice in general, or if you have a specific question about your dental care needs, please call us on (02) 8883 4560, email our dental practice at [email protected] or send us a message below and we will do our best to help you.