Schedule a Wisdom Tooth Exam Before Heading Off to College This Fall

Wisdom teeth begin forming at around the age of 12 and won’t really begin to show themselves until about 15 years of age. For some, they can continue to slowly form and push through the gums into early adulthood. In some instances, however, problems could already be silently forming under the gums without symptoms being present. If your teen just wrapped up their high school year and are getting ready to head off to college in the fall, don’t forget to come see us at Torrance Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center for a consultation before they leave.

Types of Wisdom Teeth Issues

There are three common types of wisdom teeth impactions that we tend to see in patients, those impactions are:

• Soft Tissue Impaction – This is where the tooth is emerging but is still partially covered by the gums.
• Partial Bony Impaction – The tooth has only partially erupted through the bone and gum.
• Complete Bony Impaction – The tooth is 75-100% covered in the bone.

To detect and diagnose if you are affected by any of these types of impactions, a panoramic x-ray or full-mouth scan must be taken to see properly below the gum tissues. If left untreated, food and debris can build up in the areas that are exposed and cause future infection.

Scheduling an appointment to see us before heading off to college will allow us to create a proper treatment plan for your teen well in advance. We can also give you some suggestions on how best to keep the area clean until you are able to have the teeth removed.

Schedule your visit with us at Torrance Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center today!