Oral Surgery

Wisdom teeth are the third molar teeth, also known by dentists as ''8's'' because of their position in the mouth. They are the last of the permanent teeth to develop.

Because the wisdom teeth are the last to develop and the last to come up (erupt) and because our jaws are not often large enough for all our teeth, there may not be enough space for them. They may develop in an abnormal alignment.

In addition to being deeply situated, they are often covered by a flap or a tag of gum making space between the wisdom tooth and the flap of gum is difficult to clean. Food and other debris known as plaque can accumulate and increase bacterial growth in these areas.

This may result in several different problems such as inflammation of the gum over or around the wisdom tooth (pericoronitis) which may be quite severe, decay (caries) in the wisdom tooth or the tooth in front, and gum disease (periodontitis) in the adjacent teeth.

At Roscam Family Dental Practice, our dentists will assess your wisdom teeth before tailoring your dental treatment plan for your wisdom teeth.
If you have pain or discomfort around your wisdom teeth it’s important to contact your dentist as soon as possible so that your smile can get the care that it needs.