Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the last of the molar teeth. Some people don’t even have the same and for some they never erupt. If they erupt, they usually come out at the age of 17 to 24 years old. Usually, there are 4 wisdom teeth, one tooth in each corner (Quadrant) of the mouth.

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Common Wisdom Teeth Issues

Usually wisdom teeth arise without any problem in many people, in some cases there is less space for their growth, in which case they are called impacted wisdom teeth. These impacted or submerged teeth may cause problems like:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Damage or infection to the adjacent teeth
  • Swollen Gum
  • Stiff and Sore Jaw
  • Bad taste and Bad breath
  • Difficulty in opening mouth when infection gets severe and long standing.

Treatments other than removal

  • Using prescribed antibiotics brings about temporary relief from symptoms of pain. This however doesn’t mean the symptoms won’t come back and there are high chances of it coming back with more severity and so we don’t routinely advise antibiotic treatment alone unless it’s necessary.
  • Deep cleaning under the overgrown gums combined with antibiotics also works sometimes but no guarantees of the infection not coming back as the ‘’pocket’’ space remains which is always prone to have the same infection.
Majority of cases, it’s preferable to have the wisdom teeth removed.At Maroondah Dental Care, we have OPG x-rays, which enables us to assess the location/angulation of the impacted wisdom teeth and decide on removal strategies. In extreme cases, removal by an Oral Surgeon may be required.
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