Does Your Teen Feel Wisdom Teeth Coming In?

Wisdom teeth are the furthest-back molars in the mouth. Most people get them during their late teens or early twenties. We don’t need them, and at Stephen Ratcliff Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Arlington TX we can extract them before they cause any problems.

For some people, wisdom teeth never cause any problems at all; they live with them happily ever after. They’re the lucky ones. For most of us, wisdom teeth can can lead to risky complications. Since we don’t need them – the remaining molars are enough to bite and chew – we usually recommend extraction.

Problems With Wisdom Teeth

The reason that so many of us have difficulty with our wisdom teeth is a matter of space. There just isn’t enough room in the jaw to accommodate them. Potential complications include:

• Impacted: If the wisdom teeth don’t come in properly they can grow into the gums or the jawbone.
• Angling: They can grow in at an inward or outward angle
• Positioning: Sometimes wisdom teeth are positioned horizontally in the socket, instead of vertically.

Each of these complications can be painful and affect your bite.

Extraction

It is best to have wisdom teeth pulled while you’re still young. As you get older the roots can solidify with the jaw bone, making extraction more difficult.

When we pull wisdom teeth, you are fully anesthetized. Once the tooth is out, you’ll bite gently on a piece of gauze for half an hour or so to minimize the bleeding. You’ll need to take it easy the rest of the day, and we will do some follow-up to make sure your recovery is smooth.

At Stephen Ratcliff Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Arlington TX we have long experience extracting wisdom teeth. Patients come to our office from Mansfield and Grand Prairie for this and complete general dentistry. Contact us today!