Wisdom Tooth Extractions

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Melbourne VIC

At some stage in human evolution, wisdom teeth were actually necessary. Now however, our jaws have gotten smaller and wisdom teeth are no longer needed.

As humans have evolved, our brains have grown larger, which meant something had to get smaller. It was the human jaw. However, evolution is a very slow process and while the human jaw has shrunk, the number of teeth we have has not diminished for the majority. 11% of the worlds’ population do not develop wisdom teeth, which means that 89% of people still have too many teeth.

Wisdom teeth are the molars at the back of the mouth that do not erupt until early adulthood (usually around 17-19 years of age), and this is why they are called wisdom teeth. With a smaller jaw it does not leave room for the wisdom teeth to grow naturally like the rest of your teeth—which can cause impacted teeth.

Impacted teeth are painful

An impacted tooth can be: either enclosed with the soft tissue and your jawbone or it can partially erupt through the gum. An impacted tooth is painful whether it partially erupts or not, however a partially erupted tooth allows bacteria to enter around the tooth causing infection. That infection can cause a stiff jaw, pain, swelling and illness. As well as gum disease and tooth decay.

At Marriott & Hand in Melbourne we can extract wisdom teeth before they cause you too many more problems

There are a tiny, tiny percentage of people whose wisdom teeth do not affect them (roughly 11% of the world’s population). For everyone else however, wisdom teeth often:

Become impacted and infected, causing considerable pain, swelling and discomfort.
Erupt through the periodontal (gum) tissue at an odd angle and cause overcrowding
Cause an infection that later turns into an abscess

This is why we recommend the best time to have wisdom teeth extracted is between the ages of 17 and 22, as the tooth root has not yet stabilised and matured, and the bone tissue is less dense during this age bracket, making the extraction an easier experience than it may be if left for a few years.

Regular check-ups

When you visit Marriott & Hand in Melbourne for a general check-up, we can take an x-ray of your jaw to assess whether or not you will need to have your wisdom teeth extracted. It would be beneficial to your oral health to have your wisdom teeth extracted before they become impacted. This will save you from a lot of pain and hassle with early extraction.