Oral Surgery for Wisdom Tooth Removal

Wisdom teeth emerge years after all other teeth are in place. The third molars, or wisdom teeth, are called such because they develop when most individuals become adults, which is near 17 years of age. Because our jaws are smaller than those of our ancestors, our wisdom teeth do not have enough room to fit in our mouths properly.

The wisdom teeth can become impacted, crowding other teeth and causing them to chip or break. They can cause gum disease or decay due to their difficulty of cleaning. They can also cause cysts, which can destroy the jaw or surrounding teeth. It is best to have wisdom teeth removed around age 17 because that is when they usually develop. Removal will be easier and recovery faster since the roots usually have not fully developed yet.

Xray of Wisdom tooth to be extracted using oral surgery

Other Reasons for Tooth Removal

Wisdom teeth aren’t the only teeth that can become impacted. Sometimes other teeth might need to be removed because they are threatening adjacent teeth.

Sometimes, removal of teeth might be considered necessary for orthodontic treatment. Often, we will refer you to an orthodontist in these cases.

Other times, a tooth may have to be removed because it is too damaged to be maintained. It might serve as a potential risk to your other teeth. In this case, removal is the best option.

Gum disease can threaten your teeth, and sometimes they may make loss of a tooth inevitable. Removing a threatened tooth may be an essential part of gum disease treatment.

Dental Implant Surgery

But we don’t just remove teeth—we place them to. Artificial teeth, that is, in the form of dental implants. Dental implants can be placed during the same procedure where a tooth is removed, or it may be better to wait to allow healing to occur, especially in cases where a bone graft is required.

See the Dental Implant Process for more information.

Get Oral Surgery in Columbus, OH

To learn more call us today at (614) 848-5001 to schedule an appointment with our Columbus, Ohio dentist. You can also email us.