Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the rear molars that erupt last, sometime around the late teens or early 20s. There are normally two wisdom teeth in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw, but some people have fewer than four or even none at all. In some cases, there may not be enough room in the jaw for the emerging wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth can cause various dental problems including overcrowding of the existing teeth, cysts and pain/infection.

At Kedron Family Dental, we take a preventive approach to wisdom teeth. It is much easier to remove wisdom teeth before they cause pain, rather than wait for them to cause problems. A large x-ray called an OPG is required to diagnose un-erupted wisdom teeth. X-rays taken while teeth are still emerging can indicate whether or not they may be problematic. Most new patients under the age of 30 will be required to get an OPG x-ray to determine the placing and number of wisdom teeth.

It is recommended that problematic wisdom teeth are removed and in most cases can be performed by Greg.  However, more complicated wisdom teeth extractions are referred to an oral surgeon.