Wisdom teeth are the last group of adult teeth to appear in the mouth. They come in behind your molars, and most teenagers have a set of four. Although, in some rare cases, children are born without all of their wisdom teeth. Often, wisdom teeth are misaligned, crooked, sideways and have issues as they grow in. These issues include causing overcrowding and pushing on other teeth. That is why many dentists will recommend that wisdom teeth are removed.
There are a few different theories about why wisdom teeth exist. As members of our molars, they are designed for chewing tougher foods like vegetables. It is believed by some that wisdom teeth replaced adult teeth as they fell out. However, with improved dental health and diets, wisdom teeth are no longer needed and now pose more issues than solutions.
There are a few situations where wisdom teeth do not need to be removed. If your child’s wisdom teeth grow in fully and are positioned correctly they may not need to be removed. Alternatively, if your child does not have wisdom teeth they also will not need extraction surgery. In both cases, regular yearly x-rays are necessary to track wisdom tooth alignment and development.
Most children experience issues with their wisdom teeth around the ages of 17 to 25. That is why many dentists recommend that they are removed when children are in high school or in college. Although whether or not wisdom teeth need to be removed is dependant on how they are aligned and how they emerge.
Not all insurances cover wisdom tooth extraction. It is important for parents to check with their insurance provider whether or not this procedure is covered. At All Pro Dental, you can check our payment section of the website to see which insurances we take.
Your son or daughter will start to feel pain in the back of their mouth as wisdom teeth push on their existing molars. Impacted or misaligned wisdom teeth can also cause repeated infection in the area behind the back molars, gum disease, and damage to neighboring teeth. Make sure your teenager is regularly seeing a dentist so that these issues can be caught early on.
At All Pro Dental we are happy to work with parents and kids and help them understand various dental procedures. If you have questions about your child’s wisdom teeth or another dental issue, please contact us online. Every child is unique and the best way to handle wisdom teeth is to have a dental professional look at their teeth to determine the best course of action.
Monday: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Tuesday: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Wednesday: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Thursday: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Friday: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Sat-Sun: Closed
