Surgery of the Mouth and Facial Skeleton

C.McGrath Pty Ltd ABN 63 078 843 099

Phone: + 61 3 5226 1862

Fax:     + 61 3 5226 1854

E-mail:  info@geelongoms.com.au

 

WISDOM TEETH

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop and appear in the mouth. They are called "wisdom teeth" because they usually appear during a person's late teens or early twenties, which has been called the "age of wisdom" The normal position of wisdom teeth is behind the upper and lower second, or 12-year, molars. The jaws of modern humans are generally not large enough to accommodate the four wisdom teeth. This is why wisdom teeth cause more problems than any other teeth in the mouth. In fact, for nine out of ten people at least one wisdom tooth remains underneath the gum due to lack of space in the mouth.

When a wisdom tooth is blocked from erupting or coming into the mouth normally, it is termed "impacted" A tooth may be only partially impacted, meaning it grows in crooked and breaks through the gum only partially, or it may fail to break through at all and thus remains totally impacted. Serious problems can develop from partially impacted teeth, such as pain, infection, and crowding of, or damage to, adjacent teeth. For totally impacted teeth, more serious problems can occur if the sac that surrounds the impacted tooth fills with fluid and enlarges to form a cyst.

This enlargement can hollow out the jaw and result in permanent damage to the adjacent teeth, jawbone and nerves. If the cyst is not treated, a tumor may develop from the walls of the cyst and a more involved surgical procedure may be required for removal.

Many problems with wisdom teeth can occur with few or no symptoms, so there can be damage without your knowing it. It is important to know that as wisdom teeth develop, their roots become longer and the jawbone more dense. Thus, as a person grows older, it becomes more difficult to remove wisdom teeth and complications can become more severe. In addition, as people age there is an increased chance of the symptoms mentioned above. For these reasons, the surgeon may recommend the removal of wisdom teeth even if they are not yet causing obvious problems, particularly for young adults.

At Geelong Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery we can discuss the prognosis for your wisdom teeth and recommend the appropriate treatment for you.

Mesio angular impaction

Disto angular impaction

Horizontal and Vertical

          impaction