Schedule An Appointment | 423.479.8544

Ocoee Oral Surgery

Tag Archives: wisdom teeth extraction

Why are they called “wisdom” teeth?

Tuesday, 18 October 2022 10:50
A tooth holding a degree and wearing a graduation cap.

Are you or a child experiencing wisdom tooth pain? This is the result of your final four molars trying to squeeze into a tight space already occupied by neighboring teeth. Ocoee Oral Surgery offers Wisdom Teeth Removal in Cleveland TN to alleviate that discomfort with the help of highly-rated and experienced oral surgeons. But if these teeth are notorious for the pain they cause, and their necessary removal, then why are they called “wisdom” teeth?

A tooth holding a degree and wearing a graduation cap.Wisdom Hurts

There is no association between the teeth themselves and wisdom, of course. If there was, we would be more hesitant to remove them! No, the molars located the farthest back in the jaw are known in dentistry as third molars, but the public tends to refer to them by their nickname instead. 

The name comes from the age when wisdom teeth tend to emerge. These are the last teeth to come in. While the rest of the teeth come in during childhood, wisdom teeth tend to break the surface anywhere from age 14 to 25. Since a person is older and presumably wiser when these teeth try to grow in, they were associated with wisdom gained from age.

Teeth Have History

Our jawbones have reduced in size since the time when wisdom teeth were functional for our ancestors. In modern times, we no longer have a need for wisdom teeth and they tend to be impacted. Because of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with their growth, they are removed.

Aristotle wrote about these teeth as early as fourth century BC in his History of Animals. There he states, “The last teeth to come in man are molars called ‘wisdom-teeth,’ which come at the age of twenty years, in the case of both sexes.”

Outstaying Their Welcome

Wisdom teeth don’t relate to wisdom, apart from people being wiser when these teeth grow in than when the growth of childhood counterparts takes place. Nonetheless, the name of these back molars seems to have lasted longer than the necessity of “wisdom” teeth themselves.

Our Cleveland oral surgery team is eager to assist with your wisdom teeth removal and help you to create a shining smile. Call (423) 479-8544 or email us at [email protected] to begin the process of alleviating wisdom tooth pain.

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

Tuesday, 31 August 2021 17:53
7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

You know to see your dentist twice a year for cleanings and exams, but it may not be as clear when you should seek the services of a Chattanooga oral surgeon. It is likely that at some point your life circumstances will warrant a trip to the oral surgery office. Here are seven scenarios in which you absolutely should seek out the specialty care of a Chattanooga oral surgeon.

1– Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Most of us have at least some wisdom teeth, if not all four, and ultimately any dental professional will tell you you should have them removed. If wisdom teeth align properly with surrounding teeth and the neighboring gum tissue is healthy, they do not have to be removed; however, that does not generally occur. If you haven’t undergone wisdom teeth removal surgery, you should probably see an oral surgeon.

2– Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth is one that has not erupted within the mouth, and this is often the case with wisdom teeth. Impacted teeth can take on many positions in the bone, and they will attempt to find paths by which to erupt successfully. This can be problematic for a number of reasons as they may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gums, or even stay trapped beneath the gums and jaw bone. Impacted teeth can cause all sorts of problems like pain, swelling, stiffness, and even infection, so they also warrant a visit with an oral surgeon.

3– Dental Implants

Another reason to visit an oral surgeon is the need for dental implants. Dental implants offer a permanent solution for missing or damaged teeth. For most patients, dental implant placement involves two surgical procedures. First, dental implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first three to six months following surgery, the dental implants are beneath the surface of the gums, allowing them time to bond with the jawbone. Then your surgeon will uncover the dental implants, and attach small posts to them to act as anchors for the artificial teeth. The entire process usually takes six to eight months; however, most patients experience little disruption in their daily lives.

4– Corrective Oral Surgery

Facial trauma is another reason you may need to see a Chattanooga oral surgeon for treatment. Facial trauma can include facial and lip lacerations, knocked out teeth, fractured facial bones, fractured upper and lower jaw bones, and more. In the event that you suffer a facial injury due to a sports or motor vehicle accident, work-related injury, or some other circumstance, you may need to be treated by an oral surgeon.

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

5– Surgically-Assisted Tooth Eruption

Some teeth are just stubborn and will not come in all on their own. If this happens to you or your child, you can seek treatment from an oral surgeon to uncover or expose the tooth and coax it into its proper place, usually with the help of an orthodontist. Tooth exposure is a simple surgical procedure in which the gum is lifted to uncover the impacted tooth, assisting its eruption. If there is still a baby tooth present, it will be removed at the same time.

6– TMJ Treatment

TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to the complex jaw joint. Unpleasant symptoms can occur when the joints of the jaw and the surrounding chewing muscles fail to work together as they should. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment is important. An oral surgeon can suggest avenues of treatment for TMJ such as the introduction of a mouthguard to help protect your teeth from excessive grinding and clenching, orthodontic braces to fix a problematic bite, and injections of Botox into the jaw muscles to help manage pain and promote relaxation.

7– Oral Pathology

Another reason to see an oral surgeon is if you think you may be exhibiting symptoms of oral cancer. Things to look for include sores that bleed easily and fail to heal, chronic sore throat or hoarseness, trouble swallowing or chewing, reddish or whitish patches in the mouth, and a lump or thickening on the skin lining the mouth. Any alterations in the appearance of the inside of the mouth could be an indication of an issue. Through our oral pathology services, our oral surgeons at Ocoee can help detect and diagnose these problems in office.

If you find yourself in need of oral surgery care, contact our team at Ocoee Oral Surgery today. We are accepting new patients, and no referral is necessary. We’d love to take care of you.

Wisdom Teeth Removal– Is it a Must?

Tuesday, 10 March 2020 17:39
Wisdom teeth removal oral surgery is necessary often for a lot of reasons like overcrowding, pain, and difficulty chewing.

Wisdom teeth removal oral surgery is necessary often for a lot of reasons like overcrowding, pain, and difficulty chewing.

Wisdom teeth removal surgery is extremely common in teens and young adults. Although it’s an oral surgery procedure that is performed frequently– is it always absolutely necessary? Every case if different and unique, of course, but here are a few reasons extracting wisdom teeth is recommended and beneficial for your overall dental health.

1- Discomfort and Gum Problems

Wisdom teeth can cause gum problems. When wisdom teeth are impacted, they can result in pain and swelling that is mitigated with extraction. Also, wisdom teeth that have only partially erupted through the gum tissue are especially susceptible to infection, which can cause a whole host of other problems.

2- Teeth Crowding

Most of us don’t have room in our mouths to accommodate these extra molar teeth. Sometimes when wisdom teeth begin to come in, they cause crowding and shifting of your other teeth, which can be problematic for obvious reasons. Incoming wisdom teeth can also create pockets in the gums that can become traps for bacteria which can lead to cavities and other problems that will be painful and costly. Wisdom teeth removal can help prevent this crowding and the other issues that often follow.

3- Difficulty Chewing

Sometimes when wisdom teeth begin to come in, their positioning can cause pain and difficulty chewing in certain dental patients. In some cases, they can cause damage to soft tissues in the mouth, that results in pain and hindered jaw function. This scenario would provide great grounds for having the oral surgery.

Sometimes, erupting wisdom teeth can cause pain and difficulty chewing, in which case extraction by oral surgery will likely be necessary.

4- Tooth Alignment

As mentioned before, erupting wisdom teeth, particularly in patients who have small mouths or lack adequate room to accommodate more molars, can cause crowding and affect tooth alignment. These incoming wisdom teeth can press against other teeth, consequently undoing the work of braces, bridges, crowns, and other prior dental work. Not only can this result in moved and crooked teeth, but also can create more issues like traps for food and bacteria, often resulting in decay, cavities, and more dental work.

Wisdom Teeth Case by Case

All this said, it is possible that a patient has adequate space for wisdom teeth. As long as they’ve fully broken through, and aren’t causing crowding or discomfort, your oral surgeon or dentist may recommend you leave them alone. If you are experiencing any discomfort associated with wisdom teeth, give our staff at Ocoee Oral Surgery a call. We can help!

Wisdom Teeth Coming In?

Tuesday, 01 October 2019 20:13
Even if you have impacted wisdom teeth, wisdom teeth extraction is something you should talk with your dentist about.

Things You Never Knew about Wisdom Teeth

Maybe your wisdom teeth are coming in, or maybe you’ve already been through the process of wisdom tooth extraction– but either way, there are probably some interesting facts about wisdom teeth you never knew! We’ll explore a few of the most entertaining, for kicks.

1) Number of Wisdom Teeth Varies Person To Person

As strange as it may be, the number of wisdom teeth each person has varies. Some folks have all four, and some have none at all. Most often, adults have four wisdom teeth, one in each quadrant of the mouth, but in some rare cases, people even have more than four. In the case of Hyperdontia, the human mouth can host supernumerary teeth, or teeth that exist in addition to the regular line up. (Do not Google this if you’re squeamish.)

If your wisdom teeth are coming in, there are a few things you should know about them!

2) Number of Roots the Teeth Have Varies

Another thing that varies case to case is the number of roots each wisdom tooth has. Just like a fingerprint, everyone’s teeth are unique. Though wisdom teeth generally have two or three roots, they can have more. The roots of the teeth form first, then pushing the bud of each tooth through the gums as they erupt. Some wisdom teeth have as many as five roots.

3) Wisdom Teeth Can Come In Any Time

Though most people’s wisdom teeth come in around their late teens or early twenties, these crazy little third-molars can actually make their appearance at any time. In some cases, the wisdom teeth are impacted, or they don’t grow in at all, but you’ll still want to discuss removal with your dentist, even so. According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest person to grow a wisdom tooth was almost 95 years old! His record-shattering tooth was detected during a regular dental exam.

4) They’re Called “Love Teeth” In Korean

Fun fact: the Korean word for wisdom teeth translates more closely to “love teeth.” The reason for this is that by the time your wisdom teeth emerge, you are likely to have experienced your first crush or your first love. Kinda precious, right? We certainly think so.

5) Wisdom Teeth Don’t Serve Any Purpose

It’s interesting that our wisdom teeth don’t serve a purpose anymore, and haven’t for thousands and thousands of years. Our ancestors ate raw meat, roots and other foraged foods, and they needed the wisdom teeth to adequately masticate the types of things that comprised their diets. These teeth aren’t just pointless though, they are also pretty precarious. They have the potential to cause a lot of pain and ongoing damage if left neglected. If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth examined or extracted, you ought to consider a conversation about it. Feel free to reach out to us at Ocoee Oral Surgery with any concerns or questions you may have. We are the Chattanooga area wisdom teeth experts.