Your child’s oral health is a top priority for you, no matter how old your child may get. Between the regular cleanings and teaching them how to properly care for them at home there will be times that further intervention is needed. Making the decision to have your dentist perform an extraction can be difficult. You will need to gather all the information possible to make the right choice for your child.
When it comes to wisdom teeth there are options available and most people do not know what is necessary and what is deemed optional. If your child’s wisdom teeth have grown in and are functioning properly, they are easily accessible and they are not interfering with the spacing of their teeth then the wisdom teeth probably don’t need to be removed. For some people, however, this is not the case. Here we break down the reasons that wisdom teeth should be removed.
Issues You May Experience with Wisdom Teeth
The wisdom teeth sit in the very back of the mouth and are the third molars. Usually they erupt between the in the late teens to early twenties. There are times that wisdom teeth do not fully erupt from the gum, causing a painful infection. If the wisdom tooth partially breaks through this leaves the opportunity for bacteria to wreak havoc in your child’s mouth. The cavities that occur from this often cannot be repaired.
Should their wisdom teeth begin to erupt and there isn’t enough space in the jaw, the wisdom teeth could damage the surrounding teeth. Wisdom teeth spacing cannot be corrected with braces, which leaves extraction the only option. The easiest sign that you may need to have your child’s wisdom teeth removed is that they are having pain in the back of their mouths.
Why Remove Wisdom Teeth?
If the wisdom teeth in your child’s mouth aren’t causing any discomfort and fit in their place there is no reason to bother them. However, pain and infection caused by the wisdom tooth is reason enough to have it extracted. Should your child develop cysts or tumors around the tooth, as it happens when the tooth becomes impacted, it should come out.
Another reason to handle the wisdom tooth is because of damage to other teeth or decay. Sinus difficulties can occur as the top wisdom teeth come in and apply pressure on the sinuses. Often dentists and parents decide that extraction is best before the child experiences any difficulties, as a preventive measure.
You never want to subject your child to any unnecessary dental surgery, but if your child suffers from any of the items listed above, make an appointment today with the office of Stephan A. Coates, DDS in Long Beach, CA.
Our dental team will be able to examine the wisdom teeth and assess their position and health. An examination, x-ray and scan will be performed to determine the health and positioning of those wisdom teeth. This will help you work together to decide what is best for the patient.
Call us at 562-434-6414 to book an appointment, or submit a request here.
