Wisdom teeth (third molars) are the last set of teeth to form and erupt. Typically, by the time your child is in their mid to late teens, it’s best to have their third molars evaluated to see if they should be removed or not. More often than not, our Suffolk County dentist will recommend that your teen have their wisdom teeth removed for one or more of the following reasons:
Your Teen’s Mouth May Not Have Room For More Teeth
The third molars grow in the very back of the mouth. There are four 一 one in each quadrant. Some people don’t have enough space for the wisdom teeth to erupt properly. Oftentimes, they’ll only partially erupt or come in sideways, because they’re forcefully trying to find a way through the gum tissue.
Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Pain
Much like with a teething baby, “cutting” wisdom teeth is a painful experience and it’s often a process that will give your teen on and off discomfort through a period of several months. This can cause a lot of pressure and pain both in the erupting teeth and neighboring ones as well. It’s also common for the gum tissue to be swollen and sore.
The pain can may come during extremely inconvenient time. Like when studying for difficult exams at college, or during graduation activities. There’s no way to know when flareups will happen.
Wisdom Teeth are Difficult to Clean
Though many people don’t have room for their third molars, your teen might be one of the few that do. But even if your teen’s wisdom teeth do manage to come in completely, there is a slim chance that they’ll be able to keep these molars clean enough to stay healthy long term. Since they’re so far back in the mouth, third molars are hard to reach with a toothbrush and can be impossible to floss.
More often than not, the wisdom teeth end up developing large cavities which can also spread to the neighboring teeth. As the cavities worsen, the areas will pack food, the gum will become infected, and your child will experience pain and discomfort. The same can be said for them developing periodontal disease. Granted, this can be when they are older, but the result is usually inevitable, so it’s often best to have the teeth removed before the problems start.
Removing wisdom teeth when problems begin to develop will prevent major complications, pain, and infections in the future.
The Right Time To Schedule Wisdom Teeth Evaluation
If you have a student is in their late teens, it’s best to be proactive and schedule a wisdom tooth consultation with Sachem Dental Group. We can take the proper imaging needed to evaluate their third molars and provide a professional recommendation about having them removed. Don’t wait until your teen is in pain, come to see us today!
