When diagnosing whether you should have your wisdom teeth (3rd molars) removed, we will need to take an OPG x-ray to see your whole mouth in a two dimensional view.
Generally, wisdom teeth need to be removed for the following common reasons;
- The wisdom tooth has a big cavity and it would be difficult to fix due to how far back in the mouth they are. If they cannot be kept clean, cavities will continue to form again and again.
- If they can only erupt partially and are still partially covered by gum tissue, that’s a great place for bacteria to grow since it’s very difficult to clean them. If the bacteria grow out of control, the infection can be extremely painful. It can be easily treated with antibiotics, but if the tooth stays there, it can certainly happen again.
- If they are impacted and resting directly against the back of the molar just in front of them, such that neither the gum nor bone can attach in that area. Again, those areas are bacteria and food traps, and sometimes cavities will form way down on the roots of the 2nd molars, and they can be difficult to fix.
If you would like us to review your wisdom teeth, please book a consultation with us here