February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The National Children’s Dental Health Month is a…
Removing Wisdom Teeth that Don’t Hurt
Sometimes there are reasons to remove your wisdom teeth, even if they do not hurt. You might find that you come in for a checkup and it is recommended that your wisdom teeth be removed. You will probably wonder why, since you did not even know they were there – you have no pain and your teeth are not crooked as a result of their eruption. We have good reasons though – reasons you cannot see.
X-Rays Help Make the Decision
When you come in for dental x-rays, we are looking at things that well beyond the surface of your teeth. Yes, we are looking for decay that was undetected or root issues, but we are also closely looking at your wisdom teeth and what you cannot see from the surface. What we see on the x-rays is the way the wisdom teeth are growing past the area you can see. We see beneath the gum line, whether the tooth has erupted yet or not. If the teeth are not yet through your gums, we could see if they are impacted, creating the risk of infection or if they are not going to have the room necessary to erupt, which means your adjacent teeth are going to suffer by becoming crooked or moved.
The Danger of Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth might not seem like a big deal – they just get removed if they are causing too many problems right? The key is catching them early! If you let an impacted tooth continue to grow, it begins to affect the nearby tooth roots that might have been completely healthy prior to the growth of these new teeth. The impacted roots can weaken the roots of your healthy teeth or cause them to become infected, putting you at risk of losing more than just your wisdom teeth.
Your wisdom teeth have no impact on the function of your mouth. They are just extra teeth that do not grow until you are in your late teens or early twenties. You can fully function without them, which is why more often than not, they get extracted. Sometimes it is done in an emergency situation, when the pain is unbearable, while other times it is done for preventative purposes. If you are told that your wisdom teeth need to be removed – don’t be alarmed; it is for the health of your mouth and other healthy teeth!
Dr. Jordan Cooper is from Jacksonville, AR. His father is Dr. James Cooper, a Jonesboro, AR native and practicing dentist of 39 years and his mother, Tracy Cooper, is a dental hygienist from Little Rock. Dr. Cooper graduated high school from Central Arkansas Christian, after which he entered at the University of Arkansas as a Chancellor’s Scholar in 1998.
Dr. David Cole is a graduate from the University of Arkansas, receiving his degree in 2016, and is a huge Razorback fan! He then went to dental school at the University of Tennessee where he received his D.D.S. in 2021. He looks forward to getting to know the Central Arkansas area, and serving his community!
Dr. Rasmussen is a Hot Springs native who graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2017 (Go Bears). After receiving his D.D.S from The University of Tennessee in 2021, he is looking forward to serving the central Arkansas community and the wonderful people who live here.
Dr. James Cooper was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He studied at the University of New Mexico and graduated from dental school from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. After 2 years of dental experience with the Army, Dr. Cooper moved to Jacksonville in 1973 to practice dentistry.