Wisdom teeth issues as an Adult

Most people associate wisdom teeth with late teens and young adults. They start to develop and grow-in between 18 and 25 years of age. Patients feel that if they have had no issues by the time they turn 30 they are "out of the water ".  As dentists, we know that this is just not the case. We see patients with wisdom tooth concerns at all ages. These teeth are very far back in your mouth and keeping them clean is very difficult. Wisdom teeth are more likely to get cavities than other teeth just due to the fact that cleaning them may be close to impossible. As dentists we struggle to get a successful filling in the wisdom teeth as well, so often they are recommended to be removed rather than restored. For those patients that have decided to keep their impacted wisdom teeth, it is important to follow them with regular xrays, as widom teeth can burrow a hole into the tooth infront of if from underneith the bone. This will ultimately result in the unfortunate loss of a healthy tooth, which could have been prevented.

                           

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom teeth can just start hurting even later in life. Many people get misdiagnosed with migraines or chronic ear pain instead of wisdom tooth pain. Infections around the wisdom teeth can occur any age, and this is more common in teeth that are only partially erupted, as the tissue around them is loose, and pockets develop trapping food and bacteria. Chronic infections can lead to further oral health problems and systemic spread if the infections to other areas in the body.

Occasionally, older adults end up losing other teeth for many reasons, such as decay, fracture, braces, or periodontal disease. This can free up new room in the mouth and the once impacted ( under the bone)  wisdom teeth can start to erupt through the gums, surprisingly.  At Innovation Dental in Vaughan, we have seen this multiple times where patients think they have a "growth" in the back of their mouth.

It is best to have your wisdom teeth removed when you are young, as the bone is still soft which makes it easier to remove. As well, younger people heal better and have less underlying health conditions to complicate the procedure. Dr Shulman will remove most erupted wisdom teeth, but any patient requiring removal of impacted wisdom teeth will be referred to the local oral surgeon. 

If you believe your wisdom teeth are causing you issues, or would like to have your wisdom teeth monitored don't hesitate to call us at 905-264-0333.