The wisdom teeth are the third and last set of molars to sprout. These teeth can sprout between ages 17 or as late as 25 years depending on a person. This timeframe can make it difficult on whether or not to have them removed. The best dentists in Beverly Hills will only recommend that you have them removed proactively if you are susceptible to impaction, crowding, or infection. However, some people keep their wisdom teeth and they sprout without any problem.
Table of Contents
How do You Know If Your Wisdom Teeth Have Sprouted?
There is no better way to know whether you have wisdom teeth than visiting your Beverly Hills dentist. Not everyone is able to feel the symptoms and signs that are related to wisdom teeth, and waiting until your jaw swells and becomes too painful to chew is not the best idea. Wisdom teeth can also cause infection and gum disease even when they don’t break through the gum due to their position. Therefore, when dealing with wisdom teeth, the earlier you know about them, the better.
Cleaning Your Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth require regular cleaning and you can’t clean them like you clean the rest of your teeth due to their position and location in the gum which makes them prone to gum diseases, impacted foods, abscesses, bone loss, and periodontal pocket formation. Even when you practice perfect flossing and brushing, your wisdom teeth will still be prone to such conditions because they aren’t easy to reach, and because sometimes they may only sprout partially. Traditional flossing and brushing doesn’t make it adequate when you want to keep your wisdom teeth and tissues in the surrounding areas healthy. This is because food debris and bacteria often find their way under the gum tissue where flossing or brushing cannot reach or remove them easily. In case you use tobacco products or have poor oral hygiene, you are at higher risk to problems such as cavities in areas around the wisdom teeth.
How to Clean the Areas Near your Wisdom Teeth
It is possible to effectively clean your third molars and their surrounding areas, but you will need additional aids for your oral hygiene than what other people use on a regular basis. It is essentially important to brush along the gum lines to stimulate the tissues and to remove the debris that have been trapped at the gum margin. You can also disrupt the plaque formation process by flossing regularly below the gum lines of each side of the wisdom teeth. However, these traditional methods of cleaning teeth are limited, especially in situations when gum pockets are present, or when the tooth is partially erupted.
Consider using an antimicrobial mouth wash that can help eradicate the bacteria that may not be easily accessible through flossing. Beverly Hills dentists have concluded that using mouthwash that has the essential oils can assist in the eradication of the destructive bacteria in the mouth. Mouth rinses that contain the essential oils can limit the presence of odorous bacteria that are often situated in secluded places in the mouth such as areas around the wisdom teeth and other areas that are difficult to perform oral hygiene. You can also use irrigation devices like water flossers to effectively target areas that cannot be easily accessed by flossing or brushing.
It is advisable to visit your Santa Monica dentist regularly to keep your wisdom teeth healthy. It has been discovered that people who make fewer dental cleaning routines with their dentist are more likely to have suffering wisdom teeth which can result in their extraction later on.
Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
This is something that only your best dentist in Los Angeles can tell you. Keep in mind that having your teeth removed isn’t an easy process, especially when it is your wisdom teeth. The removal of wisdom teeth is always complex and sometimes may involve a minor surgery. Growing extra teeth isn’t bad, as long as they grow properly and they are disease-free.
In case you still want to have them removed, you should first consider the age issue. When you are younger the roots of your teeth aren’t formed completely meaning they are easier to extract without presenting serious complications. This is because the roots of your teeth will continue growing and reposition themselves as you age. It is easier to remove them when you are in your 20s than in your 40s and the time required to heal will be much longer if you wait until you are in your 40s. Therefore, you shouldn’t ignore having them removed if you don’t have any other option.
What to Expect During the Extraction of Your Wisdom Teeth
Depending on your dentist, you may be given general anesthetic to make you sleep throughout the procedure. In this case, you won’t feel or even remember anything. However, other dentists will use local anesthetic. When given local anesthetic, you will only feel a bit numb around the teeth area, but you will be awake the whole time.
The next step is the removal of the teeth and it can be either complicated or easy depending on your situation. However, if your dentist has recommended that you have your wisdom teeth removed; it means that there is something wrong. In case your teeth have sprouted partially or haven’t erupted at all, then your Santa Monica dentist may cut them in smaller pieces to remove them easily, and then stitch you. Most dentists will use dissolvable stitches to avoid booking you an appointment to have them removed later on.
After the surgery, your dentist will give you painkillers and antibiotics to help accelerate the recovery process. In a normal situation healing can take a few days to a week. However, in case you don’t have time, it is still necessary to rest and relax for the first few days.
Should You Brush Your wisdom Teeth?
It is necessary to maintain your oral health in a regular basis. However, don’t floss or brush vigorously around the area. You should also avoid rinsing your mouth for the first 24 hours. After that you can use a solution of warm salt water to rinse and clean the area. It is also advisable to maintain proper oral hygiene four to six weeks after the surgery to prevent bacteria and food substances from collecting.
The decision to remove your wisdom teeth shouldn’t be made easily. Therefore proceed with caution and contact only the best dentist in Los Angeles, such as Bruce Vafa, DDS and schedule a free dental consultation.