If you are looking at getting braces, you might want to ask your orthodontist, such as John Redmond Orthodontics about whether your wisdom teeth can cause problems. There’s a lot of myths and half-truths out there, so this article canhelp you to set the record straight. There’s no shame in asking questions of your orthodontist. In fact, they welcome an informed patient.
Wisdom teeth of the third molars located right in the back of the mouth. Due to improved dental health and changes in our diet, we do not need her wisdom teeth as our preexisting generations did. Most people are going to have four wisdom teeth, two in the top and two in the bottom of the mouth. However, some people never develop them in the gums, while others are there but do not erupt through the gums.
So before we go any further, let’s look at the following possible scenarios for your wisdom teeth:
- All four wisdom teeth will erupt in the perfect position.
- The teeth are going to erupt into a good position, but there is a gum flap covering it.
- One or more teeth are going to erupt at an angle and be impacted.
- One or more teeth that are going to remain under it are unerupted in the gum.
- No wisdom teeth are going to be found on the x-ray.
The first myth going to touch on is that you cannot have wisdom teeth extracted if you have braces. People most commonly think of having your wisdom teeth removed before you have braces, or after your braces are removed. But it is possible for wisdom teeth to be removed during orthodontic treatment. If this is the case your orthodontist is going to refer you back to your dentist or to an oral surgeon to do the extractions.
The second myth is after you’ve had braces and you’re not going to worry about wisdom teeth?! How wild is that. Your wisdom teeth are going to usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25, usually this is soon after many adolescents have finished orthodontic treatment. You should not assume that your braces or whatever other orthodontic treatment you had have created enough room for your wisdom teeth to come through. In many cases a patient’s jaw is not going to be long enough to fit their wisdom teeth. Patients who finish orthodontic treatment should make sure they continue to see their dentist and orthodontist at the recommended intervals, so that they can have their wisdom teeth growth monitored. If the wisdom teeth erupt they may cause overcrowding of the surrounding teeth and within months it can ruin all the good work your braces did.
The third myth is you should not panic if your wisdom teeth erupt after braces because there are solutions! Braces are an investment and it is very understandable that you do not want to take any unnecessary risks with your teeth or the money you put in them. Therefore you should have checkups with your dentist after your wisdom teeth have erupted but it does not need to be within days. If you are wearing retainers as recommended by an orthodontist the little pressure your wisdom teeth exert on the surrounding teeth will not be a match for the pressure that your retainer exerts to keep your teeth straight. If your wisdom teeth erupt after you have your braces removed, reach out to your dentistry orthodontist and simply keep wearing your retainer as instructed.
