How Do I Know If A Wisdom Tooth Needs To Be Removed?

When evaluating whether or not to remove one or more wisdom teeth (third molars), Dr. Jamie Alexander of Boynton Beach takes into consideration the following:

• Is there pain in the area?
• Is there gum infection in the area?
• Are there cavities in the wisdom teeth or in the adjacent second molars due to tight crowding and inability to thoroughly brush and floss between the teeth?
• Are these conditions going to be a life-long problem?
• Is there room for the teeth in the jaws?
• Do these teeth affect the bite adversely?
• Are these teeth impacted (trapped in the jaw) and putting harmful pressure on second molar roots?

Before making the recommendation to remove wisdom teeth, Dr. Alexander takes a panoramic digital x-ray image of the area so he can see the position of the teeth in the jaws. If your wisdom teeth are healthy, you are able to keep your back molars clean, you are not experiencing pain, and the alignment of your teeth is not being impacted by them, there may be no reason for removal. Impacted wisdom teeth can often lie dormant (i.e., not move) and not become a problem. Dr. Alexander will not recommend removal unless it will improve oral health, quality of life, and tooth alignment.

The extraction of wisdom teeth is often performed by talented oral surgeons we partner with; however, they only accept patients that have first been evaluated by their general dentist. This is common practice since there are many other dental conditions that can mimic wisdom tooth pain. If you are concerned about your wisdom teeth, call Jamie Alexander, D.D.S. A diagnostic examination will reveal whether one or more your wisdom is diseased or causing harmful pressure on adjacent teeth second molars. He will determine if the source of pain is due to other factors.