Why do many Scarborough area patients have their wisdom teeth removed?

Wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, have a history of being problematic for patients in their early adult years. It is common to hear about patients having their wisdom teeth removed. Dr. Amir Awadalla and the team of Esquire Dental Centres encourage patients to learn about when they may benefit from wisdom teeth extraction.

What Problems Exist From Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt through the gum line. They are positioned at the back of the mouth with one to two teeth in each corner. Patients can have up to eight wisdom teeth. When patients have had orthodontic work done, these teeth can cause misalignment in the existing teeth when they erupt. This can be avoided by surgically extracting them before they become a problem. Another issue with wisdom teeth is impaction. With little room to erupt, these teeth often get “stuck” in the jaw and can become incredibly painful. Extraction is the best choice during this situation. Additionally, when wisdom teeth do erupt through the gum line without an issue, they can cause a higher risk for periodontal disease and cavities because of their location. Many patients have trouble reaching the back part of their mouth to brush and floss, and find it difficult to maintain the health of these teeth.

Removal Of Wisdom Teeth

Patients who have their wisdom teeth removed may do so in one of two ways. The first is surgical extraction. The dentist accesses the tooth within the jaw bone before it has erupted. It does require appropriate anesthetics and sedation to perform. The alternative is for wisdom teeth that have already come up through the gum line. These teeth are removed with simple extraction. This is just performed with local anesthetics and only takes a few minutes. Dr. Amir Awadalla ensures his patients are comfortable before performing either of these procedures.

Patients in the areas of Scarborough, Pickering, and North York are welcome to contact one of our three convenient locations to make an appointment and speak to our team about the benefits of wisdom tooth extraction.