Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are our third molars, farthest back in the mouth, and usually start to erupt between the ages of 18-24. The most common reason to remove them is simply lack of space in the mouth. If the wisdom tooth is 'stuck', being half erupted with a large flap of gum skin covering the tooth, bacteria can get trapped and cause great discomfort.
At Riverstone Dental, we remove many wisdom teeth, but in the case of complicated extractions you will be referred to a specialist. We have oral surgeons from Vancouver who visit Whitehorse regularly. The oral surgeons can also provide I.V. sedation for the removal of wisdom teeth if needed.
Not all wisdom teeth have to be removed. Many times they come in normally, with enough room and erupting in the proper direction. But trouble is common enough that we recommend a special X-ray, called a panoramic X-ray, should be taken at approximately 17 years old. This will show if emerging wisdom teeth should be monitored or removed. In addition, some people never develop wisdom teeth at all.
Not all crowding of teeth is caused by wisdom teeth. Much of the mouth's crowding can occur after wisdom teeth have been removed. So simply extracting the wisdom teeth does not guarantee that crowding won’t occur.
