The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons say that nine out of ten people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth. That means that there are millions of impacted wisdom teeth needing to be extracted. The New York Times ran an article that corroborates this figure by saying “It’s hard to get a percentage, but probably 75 to 80 percent of people do not meet the criteria of being able to successfully maintain their wisdom teeth,” said Dr. Louis K. Rafetto of Wilmington, Del., who headed the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ task force on wisdom teeth.”
According to Dr. Pitt, he says “wisdom teeth are a dicey situation. The patient may not have any symptoms or signs that wisdom teeth may need to be extracted.” He goes on to say that periodic dental visits can catch problems before they erupt such as overcrowding or impaction. He also states that having them removed when you are younger is easier on the patient and the recovery is quicker than on an older adult, but should be done by an oral surgeon or dentist with extensive training in wisdom tooth removal to avoid compromising recovery.
Join us as we talk to Dr. Grant Pitt, owner of Custom Dental of Edmond and author of ” Is Removing Wisdom Teeth a Smart Thing To Do?” as he equips us with the truth on how a panographic x-ray and exam can catch any potential problems and give you and your dentist options for the next steps to take.