Wisdom teeth or “third molars” are the teeth found in the very back of the jaw, these teeth come in late compared to others, often they are not cut until the age of 20 or more. Because it is assumed that people of 20 plus have gained some wisdom this seems to be the consensus of why they are called what they are. These teeth originally served a function but today they are more trouble than they are worth, often impacting other teeth creating problems. This is the reason why dentists in Chicago are often called upon to remove them.
Due to the location of the wisdom teeth in the back of the jaw they often push on existing teeth, the result is they come in sideways or at an odd angle. The cause of this is a lack of space in the jaw for these late teeth. If a patient decides to go against the advice of a dentist and not have these teeth extracted in spite of the fact that they are impacting other teeth there can be serious consequences including distortion of the other teeth which create an unsightly and often dangerous dental situation.
Although there are four types of impaction, two types are by far the most common. In almost 50 percent of the cases the wisdom tooth is angled in the direction of the front of the jaw, this is called “mesioangular impaction.” At least a third of the situations are vertical, the tooth actually does not cut all the way through the gum. The remaining third are situations where the tooth is either angled towards the rear of the mouth or where the wisdom tooth angles towards the root of the adjoining second molar.
A wisdom tooth that does not cut through the gum all the way, a situation known as “vertical impaction” can be quite dangerous. The remaining flap of gum skin is an ideal place to harbor bacteria and debris, the result can be a serious infection. When the situation reaches this point the removal of the teeth is even more painful and more difficult for the dentists in Chicago to remove. It is extremely important that you see a dentist as soon as you think your wisdom teeth are about to cut through the gum.
Although wisdom teeth removal requires the dentists in Chicago to perform a surgical procedure it is by far the most common procedure and normally poses no problems, with a low incidence of post operative complications.
Dr. Tomaselli at Chicago Smile Design is expert at removing wisdom teeth with as little pain as possible. If you are suffering and are looking for dentists in Chicago who perform this procedure safely and with minimal discomfort you are invited to make an appointment with Chicago Smile Design.
