Northern Essex Oral Surgery Associates

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Mankind continues to change and, as part of the evolutionary process, our heads are getting larger but our jaws are getting smaller. As a result, most of us have 32 teeth but only a size 28 mouth—and no one told the wisdom teeth that they were unwanted.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop and usually make their appearance in our late teens or early twenties. We remove wisdom teeth because they cause a problem or have potential to do so.

Wisdom teeth can cause: pain, swelling, fever, headache, bone loss, damage to adjacent teeth, food packing, unwanted tooth movement, decay, cysts, and associated tumors.

Things to consider:

1.	Damage can occur without symptoms.
2.	As we age, the bone density of our jaw increases, making removal more difficult.
3.	Wisdom teeth are easier to remove before full root development.

Wisdom teeth are classified as:

Erupted
Tooth is through gum in an upright position and can be removed by simple extraction.

Soft-Tissue Impacted
Tooth is through bone, upright, covered by tissue, requires incision and reflection of tissue to remove tooth.

Partial Bony Impaction
Tooth/crown not completely through bone, can be in upright or angled position, covered partially or totally by soft tissue. Requires incision and reflection of soft tissue, removal of bone, and in some cases sectioning of tooth to remove.

Full Bony Impaction
Tooth usually not visible, under bone, covered by soft tissue. Requires incision and reflection of soft tissue, removal of bone, and in some cases sectioning of tooth into multiple pieces to remove.

Wisdom teeth can be removed in the dental office safely and comfortably with local anesthesia (i.e Novocaine), sedative techniques using nitrous oxide (i.e. laughing gas) or IV sedation, and can be utilized as your health history and presentation permits.

A consultation is required for impacted wisdom teeth. There are surgical and anesthetic risks and sequelae that should be discussed with your surgeon at this visit.

Wisdom teeth may or may not be covered by your medical or dental insurance. Coverage is usually based upon your specific plan's benefits and the classification of your wisdom teeth. In addition, your plan may only cover a certain percentage, leaving you responsible for the balance as well as copayments.