Sectioning Teeth

At Riverwalk Dental, patients can count on us for quick, safe tooth extractions with minimal discomfort. Recently, we mentioned that one of the reasons the wisdom teeth are often removed is because they don’t have enough room to erupt. In those cases, they wouldn’t have enough room to be pulled or levered directly out, either, which is why we section them.

Typically, teeth are removed by rocking them gently while pushing them upward (if in the lower jaw) or pulling them (if in the upper jaw). Even if a wisdom tooth is not trapped below the gum line, this approach may not work because the wisdom teeth are anchored in the mouth by strong ligaments. Attempting to yank them all at once would require a lot of force and could hurt the patient. As an alternative, dentists use a drill to cut the teeth into smaller sections. The patient is kept numb during this and a stream of water prevents the drill from overheating. The smaller tooth sections do not require as much force to remove or as much room to be maneuvered through.

Dr. Jared Palmer and his team operate Riverwalk Dental at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit Riverwalk Dental.

 

Wisdom Teeth Extraction

There’s a debate on whether or not we actually need to keep our wisdom teeth, but our doctors at Riverwalk Dental suggest removal with good reason. Wisdom teeth are the third molars located in the back of the mouth and typically there isn’t enough room for them to grow. When wisdom teeth erupt, they tend to push against the surrounding teeth causing pain. When they are impacted (under the gum) they can lead to infection.

Extracting wisdom teeth is best because they usually do more harm than good.  They’re useful for chomping on food faster but otherwise, serve no actual purpose. Once wisdom teeth are extracted, recovery takes about seven days. During this time you will need to follow post-op instructions to ensure that the stitches don’t come undone.

If you have questions or concerns regarding wisdom teeth extraction, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.riverwalkdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental located at Canada, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Medicine Hat, 101-7 Strachan Bay, SE, 403-456-4994.

Wisdom Teeth Function

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. During this “age of wisdom” phase, sometimes teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often they are misaligned and require removal. Some might think of wisdom teeth as spare tires because if you lost your teeth, the wisdom teeth would be extra teeth that come in and function like normal teeth. Here at Riverwalk Dental, our doctors can perform extractions depending on their position and stage of development.

So why do we have them? Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons, and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent; however, they don’t always need to be removed.

If your wisdom teeth are still present and they are beginning to bother you, give us a call to discuss your options. To learn about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.riverwalkdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental located at Canada, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Medicine Hat, 101-7 Strachan Bay, SE, 403-456-4994.