PatientFYI

1. How do I know if I have wisdom teeth?

A. Your wisdom teeth are actually called your Third Molars. They are located behind your second molars, in the back of your mouth. They typically start to develop around the teenage years.

Some people have enough room to accommodate all 32 teeth (including the 4 wisdom teeth). However, most people do not have enough room for these last set of teeth to fully erupt into the mouth. In this case the teeth become impacted (buried) in the jaw to various degrees, which can eventually lead to problematic conditions such as: pain, infection, damage to the second molars, cyst formation around the impacted tooth and crowding of the teeth.

2. Are all wisdom teeth problematical?

A. No. However, a high percentage of the population does run into the problematic conditions as described earlier.

Typically we do an evaluation and if the wisdom teeth are not going to erupt into the mouth properly we recommend the wisdom teeth be removed. It is recommended this be done during teenage years as the risk of surgery is lowest during this time.

3. If my wisdom teeth need to be removed, who will do it?

A. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons attend special training programs for some time after their graduation from dental school. These programs are designed to make Oral Surgeons specialists in extractions and other surgeries. Because of this, Oral Surgeons are the best choice for Wisdom Tooth Extractions. Having your wisdom teeth removed by an Oral Surgeon will ensure the process is as smooth and safe as possible.

PatientFYI: Bisphosphonates, (also known as disphosphonates) are a class of drugs that prevent the loss of bone mass, used for treatment ranging from osteoporosis to cancer related conditions. Bisphosphonate has become a prevalent drug in our society and is a potent suppressor of osteoclastic (bone resorbing) activities, thus bone remodeling and healing are being affected.To clarify, bone has constant turnover, and is kept in balance (homeostasis) by “osteoblasts” which are responsible for creating bone and “osteoclasts” which digest bone. Bisphosphonate inhibits osteoclastic activities in bone, in other words, it inhibits the digestion of bone by osteoclasts. Surgeons are often faced with the dreaded possibility of bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw with patients who have been taking this class of medication, as the possibility of a successful outcome reduces.

Due to recent developments we now use a serum C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) test as a guide to predict the outcome of our reconstructive surgery. This helps us select the appropriate patient for surgery and increases the rate of a successful surgical outcome.