Early Treatment: How Our Young Patients Can Benefit
Our primary goal is to provide our patients with the highest quality oral and maxillofacial surgical care possible. Because educating our patients about the procedures we perform is a critical element to providing this care, we complete thorough examinations and evaluations of third molars; these help us determine the best treatment plan for each of our patients.
Jaws are not normally large enough to accommodate third molars, which is why they cause more problems than any other teeth. In fact, nine out of ten people have at least one third molar that is impacted due to lack of space in the mouth.
Third molars typically appear during one's late teens or early twenties. Because we want to help our young patients and their parents avoid time-consuming and costly treatment in the future, we recommend - as does the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons - that patients see an oral surgeon for evaluation in the early stages of development. Regular x-rays are the answer to timely consideration of third molars, as they enable us to anticipate whether or not the wisdom teeth will cause problems immediately or later in life.
Younger patients do not necessarily need treatment; the earlier we see them, however, the better we can evaluate their skeletal patterns. Young patients in the early stages of third molar development should visit an oral surgeon, primarily because early evaluation helps to eliminate the need for more costly surgery in the future and minimizes the need for complex treatment. Studies also show that third-molar removal is easier in younger patients, because the roots are not yet fully formed, the bone is not as dense, and they have a shorter recovery period than adults. This is also beneficial in cases following orthodontic work to avoid crowding of the teeth.
With the proper evaluation, we can assist your patients in achieving treatment goals by removing problem wisdom teeth and offering personalized post-operative treatment to minimize discomfort.
We look forward to serving you!
