Your wisdom teeth are located at the back of your mouth in the upper and lower jaw, and dentists usually refer to them as third molars. Most patients do not have the room they need for wisdom teeth.

Sometimes our jaws do not have the adequate space required to retain our wisdom teeth, which often become enclosed within the bone or the soft-tissue, and the tooth attempts to create space for itself. The process can create negative repercussions that become evident regardless of whether you are young or an adult. They rarely come out straight and therefore, patients experience a range of dental problems, which are as follows:

• Crowding of the other teeth in the mouth because of insufficient space.
• Creating cavities in the teeth directly in front of the wisdom teeth because of the cramped quarters in the back of the mouth.
• Leading to infections and cysts within the jawbone because of the formulation of bacteria.

In order to prevent these negative consequences, we recommend the removal of the third molar at a young age. Extracting the tooth when a patient is younger allows the dentist to extract the tooth before the root has fully developed. This makes the extraction easier and the recovery faster for you.

• This procedure lasts for approximately an hour and is generally performed in office by our highly skilled and experienced dentists.

If you are experiencing pain in the wisdom tooth or would like to have the wisdom tooth extracted before the beginning of any problems, call us right away at (504) 368-­7000.

Have You Wondered Why They Are Called Wisdom Teeth?     

Does keeping the wisdom teeth without extraction make you smarter in any way? Not really because it will be smarter for you to have a wisdom tooth extraction before it can create any dental problems.

If you are having problems with your wisdom teeth, then give us a call for an appointment.  We will do a full exam and take all the necessary x-rays and pictures to determine what will need to be done.  We will also discuss sedation options with you so you are absolutely comfortable during the procedure.