Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are often trapped at the back of the jaw without the necessary space to fit into the arch. This is especially true when you have had orthodontic treatment to straighten the teeth as there wasn’t enough room for the first 28 teeth, now try adding 4 more. All teeth require a good band of keratinized epithelium or attached gingiva around the neck of the tooth to protect it from the ingress of bacteria. At the back of the mouth we all run out of this protective tissue and with a lot of wisdom teeth trapped unable to come all the way in, we see a lot of gum infections and swelling. This can be quite painful and may need a regimen of antibiotics to quiet it down before the wisdom teeth can be extracted. In our office Dr Kirshen offers a wide variety of sedative options to help you through the procedure and insure your comfort in a safe environment. If the wisdom teeth are trapped far below the gum line and have no possibility of erupting into the mouth there may be the possibility that you can “let sleeping teeth lie there”. Each case must be interperted on the individuals needs and presentation. The risks and complications of wisdom teeth extraction are the same as any surgical procedure and can be found at the top of this information page.