Tooth Extraction Loganholme

Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, emerge in between the age of 17 and 21 and are the last set of adult teeth to enter your mouth. They grow in the back four corners, and their removal is relatively common due to the trouble they may cause like persistent pain, gum damage, and infection.

Deciding to extract these third molars early is a wise decision to prevent any dental issues. When wisdom teeth partially enter your mouth, it may cause some serious complications, thus affecting the other teeth in your mouth.

Wisdom Teeth Type

Wisdom teeth are mainly used for chewing. Since they grow at the back of the mouth, they are referred to as “third molars”. They typically emerge behind the second molars if there is sufficient space in a person’s jaw to accommodate them.

Everyone usually develops four wisdom teeth, in every corner of the mouth. When all four wisdom teeth grow normally in the mouth, it is considered safe and healthy. However, if these teeth fail to grow into the right position, they lead to other dental complications. A wisdom tooth that does not emerge completely or develops in an awkward angle is said to be impacted.

Dentists classify the impaction of the wisdom teeth in two ways:

• Direction of the impaction

This impaction is determined based on the positioning of the wisdom tooth. If the wisdom tooth is angled towards the front, it is referred to as Mesial impaction. Whereas, if it is angled towards the throat, it is referred to as Distal impaction. Also, if the tooth is angled towards the roof of the mouth, it is known as Vertical impaction, and if it has sideways angulation, it is known as Horizontal impaction. The most common type of impaction is Mesial impaction, and the least common one is Horizontal impaction.

• Degree of the impaction

Impaction of the wisdom tooth can also be determined based on how much of the tooth is enclosed within the jawbone. There are two sub-categories in this type of impaction, namely bony impaction, and soft tissue impaction.

1. Bony impaction – This type of impaction occurs when the tooth is encased in the jaw’s bone.
2. Soft tissue impaction – This type of impaction occurs when the tooth pierces through the bone, but not the gums.