WISDOM TOOTH- MYTH VS REALITY

From the DOCTOR'S DESK:
From childhood ,I have been interested in knowing about the Wisdom tooth (third molar), surprised by the vast difference of opinion each science teacher had about it, wondering at what it really was for?? Some said it was useless and needed to be removed while others stood for the positive side of it,spotting it helped in chewing and was needed for a complete mouth.
But once I started my professional studies in Dental School i used all the resources available to rule out all the false thoughts i had about teeth especially the third molar.
The third molar is a tooth with diverse shape,there is a little chance of seeing two identical wisdom teeth in two individuals.Sometimes partly erupted wisdom tooth and occasionally fully impacted wisdom tooth are in a rise in the current generation which is believed due to change in dietary habits.

There are many myths about wisdom teeth usually asked by patients at the FRESH BREATH dental clinic of Dr.Rajesh Naik MDS, your Family Dentist ;

Most commonly asked questions or perceived myths about wisdom teeth are the following:

Myth 1
– If wisdom teeth are not removed, they will become impacted or cause crowding.
This is why many people require orthodontic treatment (braces). Not true – while wisdom teeth can be a factor in crowding, some people have no issues with these teeth. For them, they grow into proper position and are healthy teeth.

Myth 2
– Through dental x-rays and routine check-ups, dentists can predict the timing and way in which wisdom teeth become visible (erupt)
Not true – unfortunately, it is not possible to predict the way wisdom teeth will erupt.

Myth 3
– Everyone has wisdom teeth.
Surprisingly not everyone actually has wisdom teeth. In fact, some people have them beneath the gums that never erupt. Some people have one or two and some people don’t have any at all. All of these scenarios are perfectly acceptable unless you have symptoms indicating something is wrong.

Myth 4
-Everyone needs their wisdom teeth removed.
Well this is probably the greatest myth of all the wisdom teeth will be advised for removal only in case of partial eruption and is causing discomfort life inflammation in gums around tooth (pericoronitis) or difficulty in chewing or opening mouth or decayed tooth causing pain.

Myth 5
– wisdom tooth removal is painful
You shouldn’t feel any pain as your wisdom teeth are removed because the area will be numb. The surgical removal is done by an Oral Surgeon who carefully examines patient and Xray and then plans the removal under Local Anesthesia.The procedure usually takes 25-40mins.Patient is generally comfortable because of premeditation and will only perceive a little bit of pressure with absolutely no pain during procedure.

Possible issues related with impacted wisdom teeth

Please feel free to call our office for a consultation. Check back each month for more tips and insight from Dr.Rajesh Naik