Archive for the ‘Wisdom Teeth’ Category

How long can I wait before my wisdom teeth need to be removed?

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

I have a question about my wisdom teeth. I am 26 years old and have three wisdom teeth that are impacted. Two of them are on top and I have one on the bottom. The top two are already scheduled to be removed, but I’m wondering if I should just have the bottom one taken out at the same time? I’ve been told that the roots for the bottom wisdom tooth are past the nerve which means there is a possibility of nerve damage with the tooth extraction. He said I could just leave it alone until it begins to cause problems, have it removed, or just remove a portion of the tooth and leave the roots in place. But the last option means that there is a possibility for infection which they would then have to go back and get the roots later.

I’m trying to weigh out the pros and cons. I’m not sure if it’s just in my mind or not, but I feel like I’m starting to feel some pressure in that area. Or maybe it is just the general pain I’ve been experiencing from the top one. I really don’t want to have to endure two surgeries either. Any insight you may have would be awesome.

- Karie in California

Karie,

The older you get, it becomes more difficult to remove the wisdom teeth. It is pretty standard practice to have any impacted wisdom teeth taken out while you are young, as it only becomes more complicated when you move into your adult years.

For example, you are still young enough that the risk for complication is minimal, whereas if you waited until you are 30 the risk will double and then at 35 the risk may double again, and so forth. Since it sounds like they are impacted, they will eventually give you trouble if they are left in place. The bone becomes harder and the roots can thicken which makes this procedure increasingly difficult the older you get.

Therefore, it is probably worth considering to go ahead and have them all taken care of as soon as possible. You don’t wait to wait until you are in more pain and have a dental emergency situation.

In regard to the suggestion to leave the root in place, that may be worth considering. That said, only the root tip should be left behind and not the whole root. The smaller the root, the body shouldn’t have complications. Although, it is very difficult to give specific recommendations without having seen your particular case. If you trust your dentist and are comfortable with his recommendations, it may be a judgement call on his part. Sometimes you don’t really know what you are dealing with until you are in there and a decision can be made during the surgery.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland dentist Hylan Dental Care.

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Seven days after wisdom teeth out and my chins still numb

Sunday, July 29th, 2012

I had my wisdom teeth out a week ago and I was put to sleep and woke up with my mouth frozen. Everything went away except my chin and my bottom lip, they’re still numb. It’s really frustrating and I was wondering if that’s normal and when it will go away or what I can do to speed up the process.

Thanks, Darren

Dear Darren,

One of the risks of having lower wisdom teeth extracted is numbness. It sounds like you are experiencing a condition known as paresthesia. This is an altered feeling or sensation to an area. Your numbness can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months before you get full feeling back. The mandibular nerve probably was irritated, inflamed, or bruised during the surgery. If you are experiencing any tingling that’s a good sign that the nerve may be on its way back to healing. Occasionally the nerve never returns to normal because of the trauma done to the nerve which is caused by the roots of the wisdom tooth lying too close to the nerve. If the mandibular is severed the feeling may never return, however this is rare. Time will tell, but we advise you to visit your oral surgeon after a few weeks for a follow-up on this matter.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland Implant Dentist Hylan Dental Care

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Two sets of wisdom teeth?

Monday, April 9th, 2012

 

My dentist said I have two sets of wisdom teeth. I have never heard of this before. Is it possible to have a second pair of wisdom teeth?

Thanks, Marc

Dear Marc,

Yes, believe it or not some people have two and even three sets of wisdom teeth, however its rare. Usually when one has a second or third set of wisdom teeth these teeth are a lot smaller and are not fully developed, so in order to properly diagnosis this x-rays are needed. It is not a big deal to have more then one set however we would recommend having both sets of wisdom teeth extracted to prevent periodontal issues as well as overcrowding of the teeth

This post is sponsored by Cleveland Implant Dentist Hylan Dental Care

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Can wisdom teeth coming in make your front teeth ache?

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Is it normal for top front teeth to ache, hurt, feel weak, sensitive or even like they’re going to fall out when wisdom teeth are coming through? I know it’s probably a silly question but im only 18 and am petrified that im going to lose my teeth!
- Rachel from England

Rachel,
Your front teeth aching or being sensitive would not likely be related to your wisdom teeth coming in. There could be something wrong with your front teeth, but I think it’s most likely that there isn’t.

Sometimes stress can make the teeth or the gums extra sensitive or even make them hurt.

This blog sponsored by Cleveland implant dentist Dr. Brad Hylan

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Wisdom tooth extraction still hurting after 2 months

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

I am 47 and had three wisdom teeth,two lower and one upper, extracted two months ago (Nov.3). I had terrible dry sockets on bottom that required five packings. The sockets have finally stoppied hurting, but I have terrible, achy lower jaw pain almost constantly. It seems more like bone pain that it does the previous socket pain. It gets worse if I talk, sing, or eat crunchy food. Is this normal? Or should I call the oral surgeon? Thank you!
- Deborah from South Carolina

Deborah,
While it takes months for the bone to completely fill in after any tooth extraction, your mouth should be feeling back to normal within about two weeks after even a tough wisdom tooth removal.

Dry socket, contrary to what even many dentists believe, appears to be an infection of the bone. Usually the dry socket dressing and time is enough to completely heal the dry socket, but it’s possible for any infection in the socket to spread deeper into the bone, lymph nodes, or other places in or near your jaw. I would go back to the oral surgeon and have him or her look at the situation. If they dismiss it as “well, this will just get better with time – just give it more time,” then go ahead and give it more time – about two weeks – and then go back again until you are pain-free.

Pain is a message our body tells us to let us know that something is wrong and needs attention, so I’d get this solved.

This blog is sponsored by Cleveland implant dentist Dr. Brad Hylan.
Outside link: read more about wisdom teeth removal.

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When should wisdom teeth be removed?

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

I am 56 years old and up until last week had all four wisdom teeth. Last week I had the two top wisdom teeth removed due to a broken filling. No problems with complications or dry socket, now a week later. My question is, should I seriously consider having the other two wisdom teeth removed, though I have never had any problems with them? My dentist advised having an oral surgeon do the removal if I elect to have them removed. Your thoughts…

Thank you in advance.
- Russell from Texas

Dear Russell,
There should be a reason for removing wisdom teeth, besides just that they’re wisdom teeth.

It sounds like your wisdom teeth were all normally erupted, and not impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth should be removed as early as possible – like by age 25 is best, because the potential for later complications with them is a significant risk.

There can, however, be problems with wisdom teeth that have erupted normally. They can be difficult to restore, so if they need extensive work, it may be advisable to have them out. They can complicate your home care by making your second molars more difficult to keep clean. In your case, if the upper wisdom teeth have been removed, the lower wisdom teeth could tend to super-erupt and end up hitting the gums of your upper jaw. If any of these are problems in your mouth, then it may be justified to have them extracted now.

All of these issues are matters that have to be sorted out by looking at your mouth. It’s a judgment call, and I would just refer you to the opinion of your own dentist on that.

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Root canal treatment on a wisdom tooth

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

I am 31, male and have had a root canal procedure in the past. Due to a cavity, one of my wisdom teeth has been damaged badly enough that the root had died, the cavity was filled and appeared fine for 6-8 months. Unfortunately it appears an infection of some sort has presented itself and removal has been recommended. Essentially I do not want to loose this tooth, or would want it replaced, but my dentist does not agree with my motivation and it is possible I do not understand the risks.

Thank you.
Orbatos from Japan

Orbatos,
There are two reasons that dentists don’t generally do root canal treatments on wisdom teeth. The first is that these teeth aren’t really very useful. More often than not, they are in situations where they get infected easily, and these infections can be serious.

The second is that the roots of wisdom teeth are generally very difficult to treat with root canal treatments. They tend to be very curved, and access is very difficult.

With any root canal treatment, there is a chance of root canal failure. On a wisdom tooth, those chances for failure will be the highest of any tooth, and the cost of the treatment will be the highest of any tooth.

Generally, most dentists wouldn’t recommend going though any extraordinary means to save a wisdom tooth unless you are missing the adjacent tooth and this tooth is needed as an anchor for a replacement tooth.

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