Shine a Light
on Wisdom Tooth Problems
You might’ve heard about wisdom teeth before, but are you aware of the issues these teeth can cause if they’re not addressed?
Wisdom teeth are the source of several oral health problems for children and adults, and they can often prevent our team from performing certain treatments if they aren’t removed as early as possible. At Elevate Dental, we can get to the root of several tooth, gum, and jaw problems by performing a wisdom tooth extraction.
But what are wisdom teeth? And how do you know you might need an extraction? Read on to learn more about these troublesome chompers, or book an appointment today to find out how we can help you!
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
The average person grows 32 adult teeth as they age, but our wisdom teeth are the last 4 to grow in.
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located at the back of your mouth. Molars are the teeth we use to help chew our food, but the story of wisdom teeth seems to be rooted in early human history.
Some researchers believe that wisdom teeth were used to help us chew tougher foods, like raw meat, roots, and nuts. However, as we learned to cook and soften the foods we ate, we stopped needing wisdom teeth.
Today, wisdom teeth are usually a liability to our oral health. They often come in around the age of 15 to 25 years old, and they can cause numerous oral health problems. In most cases, we recommend removing wisdom teeth as early as possible.
How They Can Affect Your Oral Health
Wisdom teeth grow at the back of the mouth and they usually stay hidden under the gumline. However, they can still push up against your other teeth, causing them to shift and leading to several oral health problems.
If you don’t remove your wisdom teeth, you might risk developing:
- Red, bleeding, or swollen gums
- Jaw pain
- Bad breath
- A bad taste in your mouth
Other signs to remove your wisdom teeth include overcrowding, increased cavities, and partial eruptions.
Overcrowding
One of the most common issues wisdom teeth may cause is overcrowding.
As your wisdom teeth grow in, they can push up against the back of your other teeth, causing them to squish together over time. As your teeth struggle to find space for each other, they can overlap, leading to problems with cleaning your teeth and how much you enjoy your smile.
Wisdom teeth can also affect how we can help straighten your teeth and your candidacy for clear aligners.
Cavities & Infections
If you’re having trouble cleaning your teeth properly, you may risk developing more cavities. If cavities are allowed to develop, they may infect your tooth pulp. You may need a root canal to treat the issue when this happens.
Partial Eruptions
In some cases, wisdom teeth may grow above your gum line, but only partially. When this happens, bacteria can accumulate around the partially erupted tooth, causing cavities and infections that may be harder to treat.
Book an Extraction Today
While some wisdom teeth can grow without causing these problems, it’s rare. In most cases, we recommend extracting all wisdom teeth as early as possible to help prevent these issues from developing.
Please visit our Extractions page to learn more about the surgery or book an appointment to address your wisdom tooth problems today.
Our Location
Elevate Dental is conveniently located in the heart of Vernon, on 48th Avenue. We have free parking available in our private lot and street parking just a few steps away from our front doors.
If you’re having trouble finding us, please give us a call!
Our Address
- 2900 48th Ave
- Vernon, BC V1T-8Z6
Contact Information
- Phone: 250-549-5115
- Email: [email protected]
Our Hours
- Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday : 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday : 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday : 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
*Closed weekends and all statutory holidays
OUR GOOGLE REVIEWS
OUR TESTIMONIALS
I had an accident that resulted in a cracked tooth and a lot of pain. They saw me the same day I called and came in the next day, on a closed day on a long weekend, to fix it! Great staff ( thank you Cindy and Sherry) and Dr Hakkaarrt was very thorough in her assessment and repair of my injury. She is the best at giving freezing needles that I ever experienced. I would give 6 stars if I could. Thank you to you all for your help.
Dawn C.
Dr. Krystal is excellent! I highly recommend her and her team to everyone who is looking to keep their teeth where they should be.
Jay S.
I desperately needed to get out of pain. There are no words to describe how WONDERFUL my experience with Dr. Krystal and her staff! Greeted with respect, dignity and a deep desire to provide the best possible care for her patients and their many, diverse needs. Having neglected myself and my teeth comes the my own challenges and going to the dentist is quite a daunting challenge to say the least. Patience, persistence, and perseverance is what it takes with each individual and Dr. Krystal and her staff come through with flying colors! Alway’s warm and welcoming and not satisfied until their patient is happy with whatever work may have been needed! My gratitude for this dentist and her staff goes beyond the stars! There is no other dentist I would go to or recommend! When you find the best, you keep it!
Lee-Ann S.
