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Braces off? Time to do a Wisdom Teeth X-Ray

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Most orthodontic patients have their braces on for at least two years, if not more. They often eagerly await the day that their braces will be removed and they can once again enjoy being free from wires and brackets on their teeth. However, patients’ orthodontic treatments can be threatened if they do not take precautions to monitor their mouths. If their wisdom teeth have not yet emerged in their mouths, people are often advised to have these teeth periodically x-rayed. Wisdom teeth that grow in without being properly monitored can crowd people’s teeth and ruin the work that their braces accomplished.

Some orthodontists remove these teeth before they put on a patient’s braces. However, if the person is too young and his or her wisdom teeth are not yet visible on an x-ray, that dentist may go ahead and put on the braces. This particularly may the case if a person’s misalignment is severe and causing that individual pain or embarrassment.

After these fixtures are removed, however, many dentists advise patients to undergo x-rays to determine how close these teeth are to the gum’s surface. If they are about to emerge, most dental providers suggest that people have them surgically removed. If they are not removed and allowed to continue to grow, wisdom teeth can force the other teeth to crowd together. They must make room for themselves in the mouth. Once they surface past the gum line, these teeth force neighboring molars aside and cause the rest of the teeth to move out of place. That individual may then notice that he or she has an overbite and crooked teeth.

Even more, wisdom teeth sometimes do not grow upwards toward the gum’s surface. Rather, they can grow sideways into the neighboring molars’ roots. When this happens, people experience a great deal of pain. They often cannot chew food properly; moreover, they experience pain when they open and close their mouths. Some individuals suffer so much pain that they must take strong pain medications before eating or sleeping.

Having an x-ray done once their braces are removed allows people to escape this tremendous discomfort. Their dentists can determine the risk of these teeth growing into the other teeth’s roots. Most providers know that allowing wisdom teeth to grow into the surrounding roots not only causes pain. It may also compromise a patient’s sinus cavities.

p>The sinus cavities border a person’s roots in his or her mouth. When this individual develops a tooth infection or suffers from misaligned teeth, he or she may notice significant sinus pressure and pain. Some people even develop chronic sinus infections from these dental conditions. Wisdom teeth that are not monitored and removed when necessary threaten a person’s sinus health. When people suffer from sinus pain and congestion, they often have difficulty breathing, sleeping, and even eating. Their primary care physician often refers to such patients to their orthodontic providers.

However, this surgery is not without risks, and dental providers do not order it without great consideration. As with any surgery, a person may be exposed to risks that include compromised tooth structure, collapsed sinuses, and even death. As such, patients are advised to consider these risks before they agree to the procedure. Having periodic x-rays done helps people stay informed about their dental health. Even more, it allows them to monitor how their wisdom teeth are growing and what risk it imposes to their teeth once their braces are removed. Many patients opt for the removal of these teeth to escape the pain and damage they can cause.

Some people spend years using braces and when they finally take them off, they should have their wisdom teeth x-rayed to avoid ruining the whole treatment.