Things to Know about Your Teen’s Wisdom Teeth

When it comes to dental health, braces aren’t the only rite of passage your teen has to go through. Chances are, a pediatric dentist has also mentioned the possibility of extracting your child’s wisdom teeth.

While most people are aware that they have two molars in each corner of their mouth, there is actually a third one that is hiding beneath the gums—the aforementioned wisdom teeth. In some cases, they erupt from the gums just like its fellow molars do, and no problem occurs. Most of the time, however, they do not emerge fully or do so at a problematic angle.

If the wisdom tooth is only partially erupted, bacteria can be trapped under the gingival tissue, a condition dentists call pericoronitis. On the other hand, should the tooth emerge at an awkward angle, your teen might have a hard time cleaning it given how far back in the mouth it is. Naturally, when teeth aren’t well-cleaned, cavities and other dental problems won’t be far behind. Additionally, the wisdom tooth may cause gum recession in the adjacent teeth or create deep periodontal pockets that become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Should any of these cases ring true, wisdom tooth extraction may indeed be called for. Oftentimes, a dentist will recommend the extraction during a person’s teen years while the wisdom tooth’s roots have yet to fully develop, and thus allowing for faster recovery.