Nature is not always perfect. She gave us some useless teeth, but there is not always enough space provided for them to grow normally. What to do in this case? Get them out?
It often happens that wisdom teeth do not behave exactly as their name implies and is stubborn to pull their nose when there is no place for them. Cut, chew, crumble. Your teeth will not challenge the way we live. Incisors, canines, molars and premolars, all acting in unison.
Each dental arch has two central incisors, 2 lateral incisors, two canines, four premolars and four molars, disposed symmetrically. But in some people, this team is complemented by wisdom teeth which are formed during childhood. Normally there are 4. But some lucky ones have only 3, others 2 or 1 … and the luckiest have none.
Since 8-10 years, a mini-sketch of the teeth is visible on X-rays. At age 12, the crown is formed. Roots are completed by 17-18 years, which corresponds to the average age of the eruption. At 25 years, 90% of wisdom teeth with enough room arch begins to escape. But sometimes it happens that these late visitors can not come out correctly.
Why get them out?
In some cases, they don’t grow badly, they are obedient to bone without manifest. But it happens that they become infected or to, causing damage to other teeth. This is particularly true for the wisdom teeth on the mandible, on the lower arch. An extraction can then be taken into account. For specialists, this intervention has to happen for several reasons:
Lack of place:
During a dental treatment, when teeth have no place on the little arch. Wisdom teeth must be removed before they are fully formed. This procedure is called germectomy or extracting the tooth germ in the child state. This procedure can be performed since the age of 12-14 years and is prescribed after making a blueprint of the two jaws commonly called panorama.
Accidents evolution:
When the tooth does not come out properly, it can be a source of many problems.
The most common is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the tooth. This infection occurs when wisdom teeth are half out, giving to bacteria an entry door. Pain, discomfort, difficulty opening the mouth, difficulty in eating are frequently encountered. In the face of such problems, the dentist will take care of the infection by prescribing antibiotics and mouth rinses.
This can quickly revert to a natural course. But when infection tends to recur, it is preferable to remove the wisdom teeth. Other incidents are possible: wisdom teeth removal or infection can cause adjacent teeth.
As a preventive method:
Removing wisdom teeth as a preventive measure is the subject of numerous debates. Some experts say there is no evidence to show that it prevents recurrence. Instead, periodic surveillance of the evolution of wisdom teeth is recommended.
Let’s talk about the actual operation:
Any dentist is authorized to remove a wisdom tooth. But in practice, most often you will be directed by a specialist in oral surgery. Such an operation is an act that can be delicate.
In general, this operation needs a pre-medication: antibiotics for 6 days after surgery, an anti-inflammatory that will help reduce endemic. Extraction can take place under local anesthesia or at a higher spread.
Today there are few indications for intervention under general anesthesia, which involves hospitalization. Due to the risks associated with this type of act, general anesthesia must be truly exceptional. Today it is possible to cut the tooth into several parts before removal, which limits the trauma.
We know however that if you are a smoker, the healing will take longer. After surgery, the best anti-inflammatory measure is a bag of ice.
Today, the absence of wisdom teeth is becoming more common, not because our children are becoming more turbulent, but because our diet has changed and only two molars are more than enough.