Your wisdom teeth are the last of your molars to erupt. As so-called vestigial organs, they are essentially a relic – back when our ancestors were not cooking their foods yet, we required more teeth and larger, stronger jaws with which to process our diets of tough plants and raw meats. Today, we have evolved to have smaller jaws, in response to our modern diet. And as a result, the eruption of your wisdom teeth will often create some problems.
Typically, your wisdom teeth amount to four additional molars, although 15-20% of people today do not develop one or more of them. Located at the very back of your jaw, they ordinarily present themselves in your late teens or twenties – a time when you have supposedly gained a level of ‘wisdom’.
Wisdom teeth removal in Chatswood and Sydney is an important element of many overall oral care regimens, as it can prevent the emergence of further problems. These include:
Impaction
One of the most common issues to arise when your wisdom teeth attempt to erupt is that they become impacted. In this situation, the emerging teeth grow in to another tooth, as they present themselves at an angle. This becomes clear during our preliminary x-rays.
Impacted teeth, in the short-term, can cause discomfort and swelling. Over longer time periods, the issues become more acute, and more dangerous to your overall oral health.
Overcrowding and Hygiene
Overcrowding is characterised by your teeth being pushed together over time. This growth will quite often move your teeth out of alignment. This has repercussions both for your teeth’s alignment and your oral hygiene.
Because your teeth no longer sit properly, they become considerably more prone to decay, as the various pockets between your teeth are often inaccessible by your toothbrush and floss, and bacteria can flourish, encouraging decay and gum problems.
Hygiene issues related to this decay extend to your gums, often creating swollen, irritated, and bleeding gums, bad breath, and receding gums. But unfortunately, bad gum care includes a wide number of impacts upon your overall health. Porous, swollen gums are not only a danger to your teeth and aesthetics – you can quickly suffer from periodontal disease, something which has been linked to issues with diabetes, heart disease and even a number of cancers.
Misalignments
The same overcrowding issues also have repercussions for any orthodontic work that you have had. The pressure of your emerging wisdom teeth can easily wreak havoc on your carefully-crafted, and well-aligned, smile. In other words, years of work and considerable sums of money can be all for naught. Protecting your smile is one of the biggest benefits of wisdom teeth removal, here in Chatswood and throughout Sydney.
Your oral health is one of your most lasting attributes, and the knock-on effect of maintaining strong, healthy teeth and gums makes it a very solid long-term investment. Contact your Chatswood experts at Toothsome Dental for a free consultation with one of the most experienced doctors in the business, Dr. David Willis.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
