Wisdom Teeth Removal - Oral Surgery

In Fort Worth, Arlington and Weatherford, wisdom teeth (tooth) removal is provided by Oral Surgeons Drs. John Stella, Mike Warner and Mike Zide. Wisdom teeth, located in the back of the jaws are called the third molars and are the last to grow in the mouth. Wisdom teeth usually develop by the age of 18 to 20 years and are no different than other teeth. Wisdom teeth are just as useful as your other teeth if they develop properly, interact properly with other teeth, and have healthy gums around them. But this is not always the case. Sometimes they crowd the other teeth and must be removed.

Drs. Stella, Warner and Zide are experienced oral surgeons working closely with Fort Worth area Orthodontists and Dentists whose patients require the removal of wisdom teeth. Some patient’s wisdom teeth do not erupt from the gums properly or may have surfaced but have no room in the mouth to grow. These cases are called “Impacted Wisdom Teeth.” The need for removal of impacted wisdom teeth is usually discovered via X-ray by the orthodontist or general dentist. Even if third molars have erupted, they may still need to be extracted if the teeth are non-functional, badly decayed or if they interfere with the function of adjacent teeth.

Drs. Stella, Warner and Zide have authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters on the subjects of wisdom teeth removal. The three surgeons teach oral and maxillofacial surgery residents through the University of Texas Health Science Center Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery located at John Peter Smith Hospital.

About Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery encompasses a wide variety of common procedures of the mouth. Intravenous sedation or general anesthesia provided in the office affords optimal patient comfort and safety, avoids costly hospitalization and maximizes patient comfort.

Commonly treated problems:

• Nonrestorable or impacted teeth
• Cysts, tumors or soft tissue growths in the mouth or jaws
• Bone ridge irregularities and deficiencies
• Salivary gland disease
• Extractions to assist with orthodontic crowding

Removal of teeth: Teeth may need to be removed throughout life for many reasons. An orthodontist may recommend removal of perfectly normal teeth to eliminate crowding. During late teens or early twenties, wisdom teeth (3rd molars) can cause infection, bone loss or irreversible damage to adjacent teeth.

Early removal of impacted teeth is recommended. Wisdom teeth are commonly “impacted” which means they are blocked from normal eruption and remain in soft tissue or bone. Serious problems can be caused from impacted teeth, such as infections, bony cysts, crowding and damage to adjacent teeth. As a person grows older, removal of wisdom teeth becomes more difficult resulting in more frequent and severe complications.

Bony ridge preparation: Before dentures are constructed by a restorative dentist, the supporting bone may need to be reshaped. For example, a torus is a large overgrowth of bone that may become irritated during denture wear.

Grafting procedures: Both bone and soft tissue grafts may be recommended to restore shape and form to the dental ridges. Bone may be moved from one area of the body to the jaws. Likewise, a soft tissue (gum) graft may prevent recession or tooth exposure on the lower front teeth.

Salivary gland problems: Saliva plays an important part in food digestion and protection of the oral cavity. Salivary gland disorders can be caused by stone obstruction, cysts, tumors, medications, radiation or metabolic disorders.

Outcome:

• Dental surgery can be performed in a safe comfortable environment
• Restore salivary function or remove salivary gland pathology
• Enhance orthodontic correction of dental crowding