Wisdom teeth, or third molars, can be troublemakers. They normally erupt between the ages of 17 and 25 – the so-called “age of wisdom.” If your wisdom teeth come in perfectly aligned with adjacent molars, count yourself among the fortunate few. Unfortunately, for most people wisdom teeth don’t come in the way they should.

 

They can grow sideways, protrude inward or outward, partially emerge from the gum or even be trapped under the gum causing them to be impacted. Impacted teeth can take odd positions in the bone as they attempt to make a path to eruption. That’s where many problems start.

 

Pressure from a fully impacted wisdom tooth can crowd adjacent molars and begin to affect the jaw and cause pain. A partially erupted tooth can be difficult to clean. Bacteria forms in the opening causing infection, pain and swelling. The normal answer to these problems is early detection and removal.

 

Our dentists and clinicians at Autumn Dental of Mokena will conduct a thorough examination with x-rays to determine the position of the wisdom teeth and their proximity to other teeth and nearby nerves. We are all about making you comfortable in learning the options available for treatment. In most cases we will remove the wisdom teeth with pain management, or refer you to a specialist as needed.