Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are actually just your third molars, but they often erupt in your late teens or early 20s. Some people never have them actually break through the gum line due to a lack of room; that is known as a fully impacted molar. There are instances where the crown of the tooth appears, but there is no room to have the tooth fully erupt. That is known as a partial impaction. According to the Mayo Clinic, an impacted tooth can grow at an angle toward the next tooth (second molar), grow at an angle toward the back of the mouth, grow at a right angle to the other teeth, as if the wisdom tooth is “lying down” within the jawbone, or it can grow straight up or down like other teeth but stay trapped within the jawbone.

Following guidelines established by the American Dental Association, your dentist may recommend the removal of your wisdom teeth in order to prevent or alleviate pain caused by pressure on the roots of other teeth, infection, headaches, cysts, decay, and gum disease.

At Library Park Dental we encourage you to make sure to be seen so that our team can keep an eye on your developing teeth and can make a recommendation for your treatment. We will pay attention to the gum tissue and show you what we see on dental x-rays. Then together we will develop a treatment plan. Be sure to talk to us today about any questions or concerns you have about wisdom teeth.