Wisdom Teeth: Are You Wiser To Take Them Out?

They must have been dubbed “wisdom teeth” for a reason right? Some joke that they make a person wiser and therefore should be kept but, truth be told, most of the time it’s better to take wisdom teeth out! Unless these 3rd molars are able to erupt completely (or poke through the gum tissue), being impacted (or stuck in the jaw bone) or only partially erupted can actually cause problems.

Most Dentists would confirm that the younger a person is, the easier it is to take wisdom teeth out. In fact, taking them out early while their roots haven’t quite developed all the way and people are able to heal more quickly after surgery is more ideal 100% of the time.

Generally, wisdom teeth start to appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Whether they erupt or not, is another story. Depending on their depth in the jaw bone, the angle at which they are sitting, and by how much the tooth is covered by tissue and/or bone is how 3rd molars are classified.

For example a tooth may be:

1.     Partially covered by bone and leaning toward the front of the mouth

2.     Partially erupted and leaning towards the back of the mouth

3.     Completely covered by bone and laying completely horizontal in the jaw bone

Lower wisdom teeth can also be more difficult because they become tangled in the nerve that runs along the mandible, the inferior alveolar nerve.

Depending on where or how the teeth are positioned in the jaw bone determines the difficulty of their removal and how much the fee will be. In order for a Dr. Ripplinger to get an idea of what your wisdom teeth look like, an x-ray is taken called a panoramic. It encircles your head and gets all of your teeth and jaw in one big x-ray.

If you are between the ages of 17 and 25 or can see your wisdom teeth starting to erupt, it may be time to have a consultation!
Call our office today!