Wisdom Teeth Removal
Dallas, TX
Third molars, also called wisdom teeth, are found in the back four corners of your mouth on the top and bottom. They usually emerge around the so-called wisdom years, before the age of 25. For some people, the wisdom teeth come in without causing any problems. But others can suffer complications if the wisdom teeth become impacted, crowd other teeth, or erupt incorrectly. If this happens to you, you may need surgical treatment.
When do Wisdom Teeth Need Removal?
As a patient, we want you to come in for dental exams and professional cleanings, during which we’ll examine your wisdom teeth for any problems. If we find anything suspicious, we may need to take some x-rays and discuss potential treatment options.
We may need to extract your wisdom teeth if we find any tumors or cysts, or if they look like they may become infected, impacted, or damage adjacent teeth.
Read more about when to have wisdom teeth removed.
What can happen if Wisdom Teeth remain in the Mouth?
Some people can keep their wisdom teeth without any problems. But if you are experiencing infected or impacted wisdom teeth, leaving them in can cause more problems. Read our frequently asked questions list to know more about wisdom teeth removal.
For example, if your wisdom teeth don’t have adequate space in your mouth to erupt, they can crowd or damage nearby teeth. If your wisdom teeth don’t erupt properly, flossing between them and your other molars will become more difficult. If wisdom teeth are not positioned correctly, they trap food more easily, which contributes to bacterial growth.
When wisdom teeth don’t erupt completely, bacteria can get into the gums, causing infection, swelling, stiffness and pain in the jaw. Impacted wisdom teeth also develop cysts, which damage both the roots of the surrounding teeth and the structure of the underlying bone.
Learn more about other teeth that can become impacted.
 How are Wisdom Teeth extracted?
Dr. Wallace and Dr. Gannon will make an incision in the gum tissue so he can access the tooth and bone, removing any bone that blocks the tooth root. Then they remove the tooth along with any bone or tooth fragments left in the socket.
They will stitch the wound shut to help the healing process. Lastly, they will cover the socket with gauze to control the bleeding and aid the formation of blood clots. Wisdom tooth extractions are usually outpatient procedures, meaning the patient can return home the same day as the surgery. Learn more about recovery from surgery.
Predicting future oral problems is difficult, but extracting infected or impacted wisdom teeth allows us to avoid a good deal of them. If we take this route, you will most likely not have any serious issues later on and will have much healthier teeth instead. But it’s important to note that third molars are often carriers of diseases even if they don’t show any symptoms. It’s also hard to reach or clean wisdom teeth that don’t have enough room to erupt.
Age is also a factor. Young adults have a lower risk of having severe problems with their wisdom teeth. Older adults, on the other hand, struggle with complications during and following surgery much more often.
For more information, please contact our office at 214-363-9946.
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