A third molar tooth is named as the wisdom tooth. The third upper and the third lower molar situated at the very back of the oral cavity, are known as the wisdom teeth. They are termed as the wisdom teeth on the basis of their average eruption age in the mouth. Wisdom teeth has no connection with the individual’s wisdom or intelligence. The average age group in which the wisdom teeth normally erupts is between the late teens and the early twenties (ranging from 17 to 25 years). In addition to this, there is another reason regarding this age group due to which the third molars are named as wisdom teeth. The reason is the association of this particular age group with the growth and development of the learning and intelligence skills in the young individuals.
The wisdom teeth or the third molars are located in a region where they commonly remain hidden inside the socket bones or the gums. The reason is the limited availability of the space and constant hindrance in the process of eruption. These molars are the most commonly impacted teeth followed by the second premolars and the upper lateral incisors. There are large number of individuals which usually lacks the wisdom teeth. On the other hand, there are cases in which wisdom teeth erupts within the limited spaced and small sized jaw bones. Such situations results in the tilting, drifting and rotation of the wisdom teeth. This condition, in addition to the wisdom teeth itself, also severely affects the other adjacent teeth, the jaw bone and the nerves passing near the roots and the crowns. Additionally, it also results in the spaces accumulation of the food debris which causes tooth decay, multiple mouth infections and diseases in the gums.
The late eruption of the wisdom teeth is associated with the restricted growth of the jaw bone because the reduced jaw size is incapable of accommodating all the teeth in the oral cavity. As, the third molar or the wisdom teeth are positioned at the back end of the mouth so it do not find the proper space for eruption. As a result, its growth remains restrict in between the jaw bones and the gums. The wisdom teeth are comparatively large sized, so limited or no space does not allow its eruption.
There are number of symptoms and problems which are associated with the third molars or wisdom teeth. There are:
The third molars or the wisdom teeth which are tilted, drifted and rotated abnormally causes the infections, food impaction, and the swelling in the gum tissues nearby these teeth. In this situation, it becomes difficult to clean the food debris from such narrow spaces and the pockets surrounded by the wisdom teeth. This problem causes the redness, swelling and the infection in the soft tissues, which results in the painful opening of mouth. In the severe conditions, the usual mouth rinsing and tooth brushing do not prove beneficial. The common outcomes are the infection, severe pain, fevers and the difficulty in the wide opening of the mouth. The difficulty in eating and talking occurs. Additionally, the performance of daily activities affects badly in this condition. To prevent the infection from further spreading, it becomes essential to remove these affected teeth. It may also require the exposure and the removal of the nearby gums and jaw bones. According to the American Dental Association, the in depth, comprehensive and the proper consultation concerning the condition of the wisdom teeth buds in the infants and the subjects ranging from the age of 16 to 19 years is recommended. The early removal of these are used as a preventive approach in order to save the further complications in the future.
Yes. If the eruption of your wisdom teeth is totally normal with your respective jaw bones having the enough space then the removal of the wisdom teeth are not required. There is another possible situation in which the removal of the wisdom teeth is not required. If the wisdom teeth are suppressed down deeply inside the bone and the respective removal of them can possibly results in the loss of the healthy bone which can further cause danger of weakening and the fracture of the jaw bone.
There are multiple serious concerns present regarding this situation. These are:
The surgery regarding the removal of the wisdom tooth requires the services of an experienced oral surgeon. The complete and comprehensive evaluation and the examination is required before the surgery. It requires the use of the X rays, CT scan CBCT scan, which ensured the least chances of trauma, injury or any other damage. Normally, the recovery time period after the wisdom tooth removal surgery is about 7 to 10 days. In addition to this, it also depends upon the condition and severity level of the tooth impaction, the portion of tooth inside the jaw bone and the nearness of the tooth with the other adjacent tooth.
There are number of possible complications that can occur after the surgical removal of the wisdom tooth. Most commonly occurring complications are as follows:
There are few important instructions which must be followed after the surgery of the wisdom tooth are as:
Usually, the eruption of the wisdom teeth occurs between the age group of 17 to 25 years. If it erupts normally inside the oral cavity, it may not require a surgical removal. If the wisdom teeth causes a threat to their adjacent second molars due to the presence of tilting or drifting in them, it is recommended to visit your oral surgeon regarding the wisdom tooth surgery. In addition to this, the wisdom teeth which are partially erupted and causing the spacing between the second molar and the third molar in which food debris lodgment can occur, are required to be removed in order to save the gum and avoid the alveolar bone disorder in the future. Taking all the future severe and adverse consequences under consideration, the removal of the wisdom tooth must be done as soon as possible. There are some countries in the world where the oral surgeons recommends the wisdom teeth buds removal surgery of the infants and toddlers to avoid all the future problems.
It is recommended that, if any individual’s wisdom teeth or third molars are completely stuck and properly impacted inside the bones of the jaw then it will be healthy to leave these teeth inside the bone. In such cases, the surgical treatment for removing the full bony impaction can cause the serious and severe complications and the harm will be greater in comparison to the advantages. The reason is that the removal of wisdom tooth of this type through the surgery demands an excessive removal of the healthy and normal bone of the jaw, which in return can cause the weakening of the particular area surrounding the concerned tooth. The chances of jaw bone fractures is high in such conditions during the process of chewing, biting and the mastication in the future. The oral surgeons mostly recommends to avoid the removal of such teeth. Though, the regular routine dental checkups and the follow up will be important to avoid the serious future dental complications.
The time period of 7 to 10 days are considered as the normal recovery time of the surgery regarding the removal of the wisdom tooth. It also depends upon the seriousness of the tooth impaction, the part of the molar inside the bones of the jaw and the space between the respective molar and its adjacent tooth. Moreover, the pain, discomfort, swelling and the difficulty in the mouth opening will reduce or eliminates eventually in the time duration of maximum one to two weeks.
Yes. It is typical and perfectly usual for an individual to get nervous and anxious in anticipation to a surgery regarding your wisdom teeth removal. It is a proper surgical process which involves the use of local anesthesia and mostly the cutting of the jaw bone surrounding the tooth. Though, the selection of an expert oral surgeon is necessary. A good surgeon will explains all the procedural steps before the surgery to the patient before getting the consent. He/she will also deal with your anxiety issues and may possibly add some antidepressant to your medication before starting the surgery to make you comfortable. The anxiety reduction protocol is also a necessary and important part of the wisdom teeth extraction surgery.
The time duration of complete recovery or rest period after the wisdom teeth extraction surgery is not fixed. The resting period may changes depending upon the amount of the removed jaw bone and the degree of severity of the respective procedure. Usually, the healing time of socket ranges from 7 to 10 days. It is wisely recommended to at least take a week off from the work.
The necessity regarding the extraction of your all the four wisdom teeth will be calculated and decided by your oral surgeon after examination. There are different cases regarding this question. There are cases in which all the four teeth will be extracted. Similarly, there are cases in which a surgeon advises on the extraction of wisdom teeth from merely one side of the mouth. In general case, whenever a wisdom tooth from upper side is extracted, the lower one of that side is also extracted. It avoids the over-eruption or the drifting problem and vice versa.
Usually, the time span of 30 to 60 minutes is required for the completion of the whole surgical process. Further more, it depends upon the seriousness and the degree of severity of the impaction, the angulations of the stuck teeth, the extent of the bone coverage and the amount and level of the infection surrounding the tooth. On the other hand, in some cases pericoronitis can cause the limited mouth opening and this in return can increase the time period of the surgery.
Dry socket is known as the condition occurs during the extraction of impacted teeth. It is a complication that can possibly occur during the process. It is also termed as the local alveolar osteitis whose development proceeds the absence or detachment of the clot from the healing extraction after the process of surgical removal of wisdom teeth. It results in the constant discomfort and dull pain after the time of 2 to 3 days of the surgery. It can be handled easily by the help of dressings and the socket cleaning using the normal saline.
The following list shows the most commonly impacted teeth,
The main important steps for the surgical management of the procedure are as follows:
The cost of wisdom tooth removal surgery varies differently depending on the particular patient’s specifications. In normal circumstances, the average cost of a single wisdom tooth removal ranges from 75$ to 900$ generally in the US. For a simple wisdom tooth removal, the cost ranges between 75$ to 200$. Whereas, the impacted one may cost from 225$ to 600$. Some oral surgeons suggest to remove all the four wisdom teeth at once which costs about 300$ to 3000$. Such discount packages offered by few oral surgeons can save almost 1000$ or even more. In case of having the insurance facility, the maximum cost of the wisdom teeth extraction surgery can be covered depending on an individual’s benefits, deductible and the annual maximum. Normally, most of the good insurance companies in the US cover 15% to 50% of the total cost of the extraction surgery. Besides the expense of the surgery, there are also few additional associated costs with the surgery. Such as, there is a required panoramic X-ray prior to the surgery which costs about 60 to 150$. In some cases, the dental cone beam CT scans are also necessary and their cost ranges from 250$ to 600$. Post operative care expenditure is also included in the surgery cost.
It is recommended that the wisdom teeth must be removed before they cause any serious issues, such as inflammation or severe infection. Oral surgeons mostly suggest the removal of wisdom teeth between the ages of 14 to 18 years. The reason behind this is that in the individuals of this age group the roots formation of the wisdom teeth or third molars is not yet complete. So, the risk is less and healing is fast in this age. While in the older age, the third molars are completely formed which makes the bones hard and extraction becomes complicated and difficult. It also slows down the healing process.
