Baton Rouge Dentist

Do you really have to remove wisdom teeth?

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My teenage son has been in braces since the first of last year and is almost ready to get them off.  At his recent dentist appointment, the dentist noticed on his x-rays that his wisdom teeth are back there and recommended having them taken out before too long. I didn’t see any problem with the wisdom teeth. Why does my son have to have them taken out?

Joe from Cleveland

Dear Joe,

Many teens get their wisdom teeth out and most parents don’t think twice about why. There are many positive reasons why it is recommended to have them removed in your youth.

Why wisdom teeth are often removed in your youth

Your son’ dentist may have been concerned about seeing his wisdom teeth because of his braces. Sometimes wisdom teeth, as they grow, can come in sideways. If this happens, they can push on the teeth nearby, causing them to move. The dentist probably doesn’t want to risk any movement of your son’s teeth after all the money and effort of braces.

The simplest reason to have wisdom teeth removed when you are young is that it’s easier than when you are older. As you age, your jawbone becomes firmer and less pliable. When the jawbone is firmer, it is harder to remove the wisdom teeth and it takes a longer time. If those teeth are removed in the teenage years, because the bone isn’t as stiff, it is a quick process to remove them.

Because it is more difficult to remove wisdom teeth when you are older, it also leads to more complications. The risks involved in removing wisdom teeth rise exponentially as you get older. Especially if wisdom teeth become impacted, it can cause pain or infection. Impacted means blocked by other teeth so they can’t break the surface.

It may not seem like a big deal to wait to get your son’s wisdom teeth removed, but you may find it will save a lot of trouble by having them taken care of when he is younger.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry in Baton Rouge, LA.

Just one crooked front tooth – what are my options?

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I’ve been reading through all of your blog posts, and think you have a great site. I feel like I could really trust your advice, so I am going to ask what you think about my situation.

I have one crooked front tooth, and when I say crooked, I mean SERIOUSLY crooked. It has always been embarrassing to me, and now that I am getting ready to enter a new career, I want to get it fixed. The problem is that I keep getting different advice from different dentists! This makes me really distrustful. I don’t know who to believe, and was hoping you could help shed some light on the situation.

One dentist said I should go with conventional braces, and another said that I could try Invisalign. I was wondering about just pulling it and replacing it with a dental implant, but neither dentist would discuss that option. A third dentist said that I could consider a porcelain crown, but that it would be really challenging to match to my other teeth and that I would really want to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist about getting this work done. Does it really make that much of a difference? And why the three different answers? It makes me suspicious that this is all some big conspiracy.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Alberta in Seattle

Dear Alberta,

Let us put your suspicions to rest. You received three different answers (all of them perfectly viable) because the three dentists you consulted all have different areas of expertise.

Conventional braces would certainly straighten your crooked tooth, but it could take up to two years to complete treatment. Invisalign treatment is usually shorter, and there are many advantages to that type of invisible braces. And finally, the dentist who advised you to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist was absolutely correct in stating that matching a porcelain crown or a porcelain veneer in the front of the mouth can be quite tricky. It is commendable that he or she recognizes this challenge and is giving you excellent advice.

Any one of the three solutions could work for you, so now it is time to decide which course of treatment would be best. It might be best to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist who also does Invisalign, as they could offer you the pros and cons of each solution.

The dental office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry sponsored this blog post.