At some point in our evolutionary history, we probably needed our wisdom teeth in order to extract enough nutrients from our food. Now, however, these teeth can end up being more of a nuisance than an advantage. That is why so many patients need to have these teeth removed in a timely manner.
Our Santa Monica dentists recommend that you undergo an oral health evaluation, so that your dentist can help you make a plan on how to deal with your wisdom teeth.
The problem for many patients is that our jawbones no longer have enough space for our wisdom teeth to comfortably and completely emerge. This can lead to a number of oral health problems, including:
- Wisdom teeth developing cavities, because they are so hard to reach and effectively clean
- The area around your wisdom teeth becoming susceptible to developing gum and jawbone tissue infections
- Dental misalignment due to your emerging wisdom teeth putting pressure on your existing your smile
- Pain and discomfort around your wisdom teeth, as the gum tissue becomes damaged, and your wisdom teeth put pressure on your other teeth
It is ideal to have your wisdom teeth removed before they start to lead to discomfort and infections. Sometimes, our dental team is able to simply pull wisdom teeth, as we would pull any other teeth. Often, however, wisdom teeth become impacted in the jawbone tissue, and so our Santa Monica wisdom teeth dentists surgically remove the patient’s third molars.
The best way to get started with wisdom tooth treatment is to come in for a thorough assessment. This initial appointment allows our team to determine how your wisdom teeth are positioned, and the ideal extraction method.
You can always contact our team by giving us a call, or using the Contact Us page to submit a question for our dentist.