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Make the wisest choice about those wisdom teeth
Interview by KIM GLOVER, R.D.H.
Most people have – or have had
– wisdom teeth, also known as third
molars. They are the last molars
to grow into the mouth and are
located behind the 12-year molars.
tĞƵƐƵĂůůLJƐĞĞƚŚĞƐĞƚĞĞƚŚĐŽŵĞ
in between the ages of 16 and 22.
Four wisdom teeth are typical but
some people have none. I have also
seen people with only one, two,
three and six!
So why do so many people have
wisdom teeth removed? Most of
us do not have enough room in our
mouths to keep the wisdom teeth
and the surrounding gums healthy.
You may wonder if your child will
need to have any wisdom teeth
ƌĞŵŽǀĞĚƐŽŵĞĚĂLJ͘zŽƵƌĚĞŶƟƐƚǁŝůů
help you decide the best choice.
^ŽŵĞĚĞŶƟƐƚƐƌĞŵŽǀĞƚĞĞƚŚŝŶ
ƚŚĞŝƌŽĸĐĞ͕ďƵƚƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐĂ
ĚĞŶƟƐƚƉƌĞĨĞƌƐƚŽŚĂǀĞĂŶŽƌĂů
surgeon remove wisdom teeth
ʹĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJŝĨƚŚĞĞdžƚƌĂĐƟŽŶŝƐ
ŵŽƌĞĐŽŵƉůŝĐĂƚĞĚ͕ŽƌŝĨŵƵůƟƉůĞ
teeth need to be removed at
the same appointment. Oral
surgeons are specially trained
ĚĞŶƟƐƚƐƐŬŝůůĞĚŝŶƌĞŵŽǀŝŶŐ
teeth, placing dental implants,
ĂŶĚƉĞƌĨŽƌŵŝŶŐĐŽƌƌĞĐƟǀĞƐƵƌ-
geries for the face and jaw.
Antonio Caso, D.D.S. is an
ŽƌĂůƐƵƌŐĞŽŶĂƚtĂůůĂtĂůůĂ
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
/ĂƐŬĞĚƌ͘ĂƐŽƚŽĮĞůĚƐŽŵĞ
ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐŵĂŶLJƉĂƌĞŶƚƐŚĂǀĞ
about wisdom teeth.
How do I know if my child
needs to have wisdom teeth
removed? ƉĂƟĞŶƚ͛ƐĚĞŶƟƐƚ
ŽƌŽƌƚŚŽĚŽŶƟƐƚ;ŝĨƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚŝƐ
HEATHER A. BACON, PH.D. &
JENNIFER K. COOPER, PSY.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologists
Helping parents discover new ways to shape
behavior and reconnect with children.
Currently accepting new patients.
Most insurance and private pay accepted.
860 W. Elm Ave., Suite 204, Hermiston, OR 97838
541-289-7777 • hermistonpsych.com
)DPLO\
Health
Will my child need to be sedated
to have the teeth removed? Anes-
ƚŚĞƐŝĂŝƐŶŽƚƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚĨŽƌǁŝƐĚŽŵ
ƚĞĞƚŚƌĞŵŽǀĂů͕ďƵƚŵŽƐƚƉĂƟĞŶƚƐ
elect to have their wisdom teeth re-
moved while they are comfortably
and safely sedated. If there is any
ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶŽŶǁŚĂƚƚLJƉĞŽĨĂŶĞƐƚŚĞ-
ƐŝĂŝƐďĞƐƚĨŽƌĂƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌƉĂƟĞŶƚ͕
ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐƚŚĞŽƉƟŽŶƐǁŝƚŚƚŚĞŽƌĂů
surgeon to determine the safest and
most comfortable approach.
How long is the procedure and
what is the expected recovery? The
length of the procedure and recov-
ery is partly determined by the age
ŽĨƚŚĞƉĂƟĞŶƚĂŶĚƚŚĞĐŽŵƉůĞdžŝƚLJ
ŽƌŚĂƐŚĂĚŽƌƚŚŽĚŽŶƟĐƚƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚ͕
such as braces) will likely be evaluat- of the procedure. Generally speak-
ŝŶŐƚŚĞƚŚŝƌĚŵŽůĂƌƐĚƵƌŝŶŐƌŽƵƟŶĞ ing, the earlier wisdom teeth are
removed, the faster the recovery
dental visits as a child enters his or
ƟŵĞĂŶĚƐŵĂůůĞƌƚŚĞĐŚĂŶĐĞŽĨ
her mid-teen years. The associated
ĐŽŵƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘dŚĞĂĐƚƵĂůƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞ
risks for removal of wisdom teeth
takes about an hour. In the few days
are much less at a younger age
following the procedure expect
when these molars are less devel-
some soreness and swelling of the
oped and have shorter roots, so a
cheeks. Foods may need to be a bit
ƉƌĞǀĞŶƟǀĞĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚŝŶƚŚĞĞǀĂůƵĂ-
ƐŽŌĞƌƚŽŵŝŶŝŵŝnjĞĚŝƐĐŽŵĨŽƌƚǁŚŝůĞ
ƟŽŶƉƌŽĐĞƐƐŝƐŐĞŶĞƌĂůůLJĨŽůůŽǁĞĚ͘
ĞĂƟŶŐ͘'ĞŶĞƌĂůůLJ͕LJŽƵŶŐĞƌƉĂƟĞŶƚƐ
tĂŝƟŶŐƵŶƟůǁŝƐĚŽŵƚĞĞƚŚĐĂƵƐĞ
ĐĂŶƌĞƚƵƌŶƚŽŶŽƌŵĂůĂĐƟǀŝƚLJǁŝƚŚŝŶ
pain or swelling may lead to more
ĂǁĞĞŬ͘WĂƟĞŶƚƐŽůĚĞƌƚŚĂŶϮϬŵĂLJ
ĐŽŵƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘
ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵŽƌĞƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJƟŵĞ͘dŚĞ
What can happen if wisdom
teeth are not removed? Unhealthy oral surgeon will go over special in-
ƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶƐĂŶĚƉƌĞĐĂƵƟŽŶƐ͕ĂƐǁĞůů
wisdom teeth have been linked to
ŵĂŶLJƉƌŽďůĞŵƐůĂƚĞƌŝŶůŝĨĞ͘tŝƐĚŽŵ ĂƐƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚŵĞĚŝĐĂƟŽŶƐƚŽŚĞůƉ
in the recovery process.
teeth that are unable to erupt into
ĂŚĞĂůƚŚLJƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĂƌĞĞdžƉŽƐĞĚƚŽ
________
the natural bacteria in our mouth
Kim Glover is a Registered Dental
and may become infected or cause
ŝŶŇĂŵŵĂƚŽƌLJĚŝƐĞĂƐĞůŝŬĞƉĞƌŝŽĚŽŶ- Hygienist at Broadway Family Den-
ƟƟƐ͘DŝƐĂůŝŐŶĞĚǁŝƐĚŽŵƚĞĞƚŚŚĂǀĞ tal Care (www.bwaydental.com)
ŝŶDŝůƚŽŶͲ&ƌĞĞǁĂƚĞƌ͘zŽƵĐĂŶĮŶĚ
also been shown to cause damage
Dr. Antonio Caso online at www.
and loss of the molars in front of
wwoms.com.
the wisdom teeth.