• Who should have their wisdom teeth removed?
• Ideally, when should wisdom teeth be removed?
• Why are the called wisdom teeth, and why do we have them if they are no longer useful?
• What are the benefits of dental implants over dentures?
  
• In what circumstances should a patient receive care from an oral surgeon rather than a dentist when having their wisdom teeth removed?
• What is oral surgery?
• What is an oral surgeon?

Who should have their wisdom teeth removed?

Over 80% of the population does not have room for their wisdom teeth. When there is insufficient room for wisdom teeth in one's mouth, it often causes other dental complications. For example, wisdom teeth can force teeth in the front of the mouth to become crooked.

Partially impacted wisdom teeth can be difficult to clean, making it easier for debris and bacteria to easily accumulate, which may cause pericoronitis. Symptoms of this condition include a swelling and redness of the gum around the eruption site, or difficulty in opening the mouth. Untreated pericoronitis can progress to a much more severe infection.

Ideally, when should wisdom teeth be removed?

The ideal age for removal is from age 13 to 18. This is especially true for young patients who have dental benfits thru their parents.

Why are the called wisdom teeth, and why do we have them if they are no longer useful?

They are generally thought to be called wisdom teeth because they appear so late—much later than the other teeth, at an age where people are supposedly wiser than as a child, when the other teeth erupt. Many anthropologists believe that wisdom teeth were useful back when it was common for humans to lose several teeth to decay by the age when they appear.

What are the benefits of implants over dentures?

Important benefits of dental implants include:

• Feel — Because implants are embedded in your bone, they feel more like your natural teeth.
• Convenience — You will not need to worry about denture adhesives or having your dentures slip, click or fall out when you speak.
• Nutrition — You will be able to chew better with implants. Chewing can be difficult with regular dentures, especially ones that don't fit perfectly. A regular upper denture also covers your palate, which can reduce your sense of taste.
• Self-esteem — Because implants are so much like your natural teeth, you will think about them less. Your self-esteem and confidence will be improved because you will not have to worry about denture problems or people noticing that you have missing teeth. Regular dentures also can affect your speech, which can make you less self-confident when talking with others.

In what circumstances should a patient receive care from an oral surgeon rather than a dentist when having their wisdom teeth removed?

Oral surgeons have a separatae licensce to give a general anesthetic in the office, which makes the process more efficient and painless. Wisdom tooth removal is a routine procedure for oral surgeons because of their additional specialized training and the frequency with which the perform the procedure. This experience is particularly crucial in the case of fully or partially impacted wisdom teeth.

What is oral surgery?

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the specialty of dentistry that includes the diagnosis, surgical and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and neck.

What is an oral surgeon?

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries, and aesthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws, and face. Their training includes a four-year graduate degree in dentistry and the completion of a minimum four-year hospital surgical residency program.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons care for patients who experience such conditions as problem wisdom teeth, facial pain, and misaligned jaws. They treat accident victims suffering facial injuries, offer reconstructive and dental implant surgery, and care for patients with tumors and cysts of the jaws and functional and aesthetic conditions of the maxillofacial areas.

With specialized knowledge in pain control and advanced training in anesthesia, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is able to provide quality care with maximum patient comfort and safety in the office setting.