The possibility of oral surgery can be anxiety-inducing in all of us, and when you’re a teenager, you might not know the necessity of having your wisdom teeth monitored as they grow. But these can cause serious problems, and often need to be removed in order to give you the brightest and healthiest smile available to you.
And in the time they are growing, they can be doing damage to your mouth. The longer that you wait, the more possibility for harm. So today, your Newport Beach, CA dentist presses the need to pay attention to your wisdom tooth development, and why seeing a trained oral health professional can save you a lot of worry in the long-run.
Why Do We Have Them?
Teens are often understandably questioning when it comes to wisdom teeth. After all, if we didn’t need them, why do we have them?
The answer to that lies in our evolutionary development. We used to have much larger mouths as a species, that could fit an extra set of molars. The extra teeth also would benefit significantly without dentistry around to save any from infection or periodontal disease. But today, our jaw has narrowed and there simply isn’t enough room for a lot of people.
And unfortunately, we cannot speed up the evolutionary process, so we are still making these molars even though we don’t need them functionally. And they can cause major problems to your teeth’s alignment. For many of you, you have just stopped wearing braces or a retainer, and all that hard work should be preserved.
Wisdom teeth can grow in all sorts of strange directions, which can crowd the teeth, and can also be incredibly painful. The pressure can also lead your teeth to crack, leaving them weaker structurally. And it also leaves them susceptible to bacterial infections, which can require a root canal or even an extraction.
What Should I Do?
Your dentist should be trusted to take x-ray images of your jaw, so that they can see any collisions before they occur. It’s like being able to predict a car crash. If you could have that power, you’d certainly use it!
If you are experiencing any pain in your face, please do not keep that to yourself. You may think that the issue will fix itself over time, but more often than not, you can only cause more damage which will need to be repaired. And while it is something common in teens, it is also something that needs to be monitored appropriately.
Don’t Let It Get Worse!
If you have any questions, please give Dr. Hofkes at Balboa Dental Surgery a call at (949)630-0143. Or stop by our office here in Newport Beach, CA!
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