Your Child’s Wisdom Teeth: Why it isn’t Wise to Wait

Sept. 7, 2009 - PRLog -- Contact: Sarah Nelson
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates
www.maineoralsurgery.com
207-772-4063
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Your Child’s Wisdom Teeth: Why it isn’t Wise to Wait
Portland, Maine – Your teenager is heading back to high school. It’s time for homecoming celebrations, biology classes, football games, and wisdom teeth. That’s right, wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop and usually appear during a person’s late teens. The average adult has thirty-two teeth by age eighteen: sixteen teeth on the top and sixteen teeth on the bottom. However, the average mouth is made to hold only 28 teeth. It can be painful when 32 teeth try to fit in a mouth that holds only 28 teeth.
Since most mouths are “too small” for the additional molars, many wisdom teeth may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gum, or remain trapped beneath the gum and bone which can lead to serious oral health problems. The most common complications with wisdom teeth are infection, swelling, cysts or tumors, and damage to adjacent teeth.
“Many parents believe that as long as their child does not complain about wisdom teeth pain, they do not have to worry,” says Dr. Brian Shah of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates in South Portland. “Unfortunately, pain free teeth do not mean there is no disease or infection. The best thing to do is take your teen to your dentist for a set of x-rays before any pain develops. If your child does need their wisdom teeth removed, they will be referred to an oral surgeon.” The longer wisdom teeth remain in your child’s mouth, the more likely they are to cause problems.
So what should you do when your child needs their wisdom teeth removed? Here are some questions to ask before choosing an oral surgeon so you can make the safest and best decision for your child:
•   Is the facility accredited by an independent accrediting agency?
•   Is the facility licensed by the state?
•   Will there be more than one doctor to evaluate my child’s case?
•   What steps are taken to prevent infection?
•   Is there a recovery area staffed by a nurse?

Delaying the removal of your child’s wisdom teeth invites the increased chance of gum disease and post-surgery complications. Put a visit to your dentist on your fall calendar so you can get the information you need and start the school year with peace of mind.
For more information, the doctors of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates can be reached at 207-772-4063. Discover Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates at www.maineoralsurgery.com

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