Homepage Joondalup City Dental newsroom

Joondalup Dentist Provides Advice for Wisdom Teeth Removal

Announcement posted by Joondalup City Dental 08 Sep 2016

Dentist in Joondalup decodes and demystifies the reasons and timing for wisdom teeth removal.
Joondalup, WA, 08 September 2016 - Wisdom teeth can be a source of mystery for those who are at the prime ages for having them removed. Some dentists remove them prophylactically when the patients are adolescents whose wisdom teeth have just begun to develop. Others wait until problems develop, usually after age seventeen, before doing anything.

Others, like Dr Roy Sarmidi, a dentist at Joondalup City Dental, prefer to let each individual case dictate his actions. Recently, on his company blog, Dr Sarmidi provided an informational piece about wisdom teeth. In the piece, he explained what wisdom teeth are, problems that can develop and when the best time is to have them removed.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the third molars. The average human mouth has twelve molars, three in each quadrant: upper left, lower left, upper right, lower right. The first molars erupt around six years old. The second molars erupt around 12 years old. The third molars erupt between the ages of 17 and 21. Because they are the last teeth to erupt, they are called “wisdom teeth.”

When wisdom teeth grow in perfectly, they are as valuable as the other teeth. They are perfectly aligned and help with chewing. Unfortunately, wisdom teeth often develop problems which usually are alleviated only by removal.

Wisdom teeth can grow in crooked. They can also not have enough room to grow through the gum, causing an impacted wisdom tooth. They can grow crooked and put pressure on the adjoining teeth, causing bite problems. Often, a flap of gum tissue grows over wisdom teeth, causing food to be trapped in between the tooth and gum. This can cause both tooth decay and gum disease.

Symptoms and Wisdom Teeth Removal

When there is a problem with wisdom teeth, it makes itself known. Facial swelling or gum swelling can occur. Tooth decay can occur, with its standard “toothache.” Infections can develop. Bite problems can occur when wisdom teeth push healthy teeth out of place. Cysts can develop, affecting roots and bones of teeth.

Dr Sarmidi prefers to let every case determine when wisdom teeth removal is necessary. According to Dr Sarmidi: “Traditionally, many dentists have worked with the assumption that wisdom teeth are always going to have problems, so they remove them as soon as they begin to form in teenage patients. This is when they will come out the easiest. For a lot of people, this saves them a lot of pain down the road. But it may be unnecessary to pull them at all.”

Dr Sarmidi concluded: “Some wisdom teeth grow in perfectly and are never a problem. While there are some problems in teenagers that may be excellent predictors of impending wisdom teeth problems, we don’t just automatically remove them in every teenage patient. We prefer to take each patient on an individual basis.”

Joondalup City Dental offers a full menu of contemporary dental services and procedures, including wisdom teeth removal. They specialise in removing pain, discomfort and fear from visits to the dentist. Their warm, professional staff prides themselves in treating all patients like family. To learn more or to make an appointment, call (08) 9404 9500 or visit their website: http://www.joondalupcitydental.com.au/.