Specialist Services
Oral Surgery & Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth (also called third molars) usually do not push through the gums until people are in their late teens, twenties or even older. Wisdom teeth are usually the last teeth to come through the gums. Most people have four wisdom teeth although some people have no wisdom teeth. Often there is little space at the rear of the jaws for wisdom teeth to come easily through the gums. If the jaw does not have enough room for the wisdom tooth to come through, the tooth will become wedged or "impacted". Some impacted wisdom teeth remain buried and cause no trouble. However, other impacted wisdom teeth may cause severe problems.
Wisdom teeth may cause the following problems:
- Infection and inflammation
- Pain - caused either by the infection and inflammation or the pressure on the tooth next to it
- Crowding - the wisdom tooth may push the nearby teeth out of their correct position and thus may cause crowding of front teeth
- Ulcers
- Food traps
- Damage to nearby molars
If your wisdom teeth are likely to cause a problem now or in the future, we will discuss your treatment options with you and if necessary arrange their removal.
