If you suffer from acute pain in your face, mouth, or ear, you might be feeling the effects of your wisdom teeth trying to move into position in your mouth. Wisdom teeth (third molar teeth) are the last teeth to erupt into the mouth and because of a mismatch between our jaw size (too small) and the tooth size (too large) are often impacted (having insufficient space in the jaw to take up a healthy trouble free position behind the other teeth). This is especially the case if you have had orthodontic treatment (braces) as the newly straightened teeth result in even less space being available for the wisdom teeth to take position.
Impacted wisdom teeth can be misdiagnosed as problems with your ear (Otitis) or jaw joint (TMJ dysfunction). At the Dental Implant & Specialist Centre, our specialist dentists are highly skilled diagnosticians and have successfully treated both wisdom teeth and conditions mimicking these teeth comprehensively on a routine basis. It is important to understand the risks that come with untreated wisdom teeth. Recurrent infections can be distressing and debilitating requiring both time off work or study and strong medications. If you have had orthodontic (braces) work, then it is particularly important that you receive specialist assessment for your wisdom teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth can undo (affect the alignment of your other teeth) the results obtained with orthodontic work, which won’t self-correct even after wisdom teeth removal. Some patients will have to redo orthodontic work (at great expense) after wisdom tooth removal. If left unaddressed, these teeth can cause such extensive damage to adjacent teeth and bone, resulting in a need for more invasive surgery. Sometimes, this even includes the removal of adjacent teeth and treatment of osteomyelitis. Not everyone needs their wisdom teeth removed, some patients can safely retain the teeth, others may be considered too a high a risk to proceed with removal (often a consideration for patients over 25 years of age). Don’t risk your health, have one of our specialist dental surgeons advise and treat your condition – their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
Tooth Extraction Gold Coast
Extraction of teeth (including wisdom teeth or third molars) is a routine procedure for the highly skilled specialist surgeons at the Dental Implant & Specialist Centre. Gold Coast wisdom teeth removal is the most effective way to prevent or resolve pain from these teeth and prevent damage to your adjacent teeth. When you have orthodontic treatment (braces), your newly straightened teeth occupy more space on your jaw (when teeth are crooked they take up less space in the jaws).
Consequently, there is less room for wisdom teeth to erupt into the mouth in a healthy state. As they emerge, wisdom teeth can exert pressure upon and move adjacent teeth (Orthodontic relapse – loss of alignment). In the most serious cases, this can entirely undo expensive Orthodontic treatment, exposing the individual to require braces again. Another very common issue associated with untreated impacted wisdom teeth is recurrent facial pain from wound infection (peri-coronitis). Untreated impacted wisdom teeth can result in chronic infections and cyst formation that ultimately are capable of weakening your jaw. For this reason, we recommend that you seek assessment of these teeth either after completion of Orthodontic treatment or as soon as you start experiencing the symptoms of this condition.
For a number of reasons it is preferable to have your impacted wisdom teeth removed at a younger age:
- The teeth are physically smaller (the root system is not fully developed) at a younger age and therefore can be removed with less difficulty. Wisdom teeth can be assessed with x-ray (OPG) from 13 years of age.
- It reduces your recovery time and reduces the risk of complications (in the hands of Specialists the risk is very low),
- The risk of complications (permanent issues) increases beyond 25 years of age. The chance of complete recovery from any complications reduces as age increases. By removing your wisdom teeth early, you enjoy a predictably higher standard of health overall.