Almost all of us have suffered from the eruption of our wisdom teeth at some point in our lives, others less and others more. Wisdom teeth are the third molars, the last teeth that usually appear after puberty at the back of the mouth.

Very often, due to lack of space on the jaw, wisdom teeth might be present but unable to erupt remaining trapped beneath the gums. Usually symptoms come and go at unsuspected moments, with irregular frequency and intensity.

The whole process along with the suffering that it entails, can last for many years. The main cause of these problems is the inflammation of the gums that’s created by the impacted wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are called fully impacted when that they don’t have enough space to erupt or have the wrong angle or inclination, and partially impacted when they erupt partially and only part of the crown is visible.

Although symptoms may vary depending on each individual case, the most common are pain and swelling of the area, bad breath, difficulty opening the mouth, fever etc. These symptoms, although they can be temporarily treated, do not take long to recur, so the definitive treatment lies in the extraction of the culpable wisdom tooth.

Of course, wisdom teeth can cause other medical conditions and permanent damage, such as damage to the adjacent tooth or jawbone. For this reason, it is important to have an oral examination by the dentist in combination with a panoramic X-ray to check the entire oral cavity.

At SMALTO dental clinic, we recommend the preventive extraction of wisdom teeth at a time of our choosing and prior to an emergency. The dentist will examine the patient and the panoramic X-ray, which will show if there are any wisdom teeth, their position, if they have created any problems and taking into account the pros and cons of preventive extraction, will advise the patient accordingly.

As a general principle, the younger the patient, the easier the process and the recuperation period. The most appropriate age is between 15 – 23 years. Both simple and surgical extractions are nowadays considered routine operations, and they are fast and painless. They are performed under local anaesthesia and multiple wisdom teeth can be removed in a single appointment. Any minor discomfort after the procedure, does not last for more than 3 to 4 days.

For more information or appointments, you can visit our email address www.smaltoclinic.com or call our friendly reception team on 22 112 112.