There is a belief among many people that a decayed wisdom tooth is not worth treating. Others, on the contrary, believe that extraction of any tooth is a last resort. Who is right? There is no simple answer and it all depends on the specific situation, if you want to find out more - please see the article.  

Why do wisdom teeth deteriorate faster?

Wisdom teeth, or more precisely the last molars, usually do not appear until around the age of 17-25, and not in everyone. Once indispensable for biting and chewing large amounts of raw foods, they now often cause more trouble than good. Why?

Firstly, by cutting out at such a late age they often There is no room for them in the dental arch. This causes the remaining teeth to become compressed, resulting in orthodontic problems.

Wisdom teeth also decay much faster than other teeth. This is due to their shape, location and difficult access, which makes them difficult to clean thoroughly. Lingering food residues can quickly lead to decay and further consequences such as pulpitis. You can read exactly what this is in our article "Tooth inflammation - unbearable pain".

This is not the only problem with wisdom teeth. A partial or complete retention of the tooth may occur. The consequence may be pain, inflammation or trismus. Then, most often, a visit to the oral surgeon and extraction is necessary. We wrote more on this subject in the article "Retained tooth - what exactly is it and does it always need to be removed".

So when should a broken wisdom tooth be treated and when should it be removed?

With the current development of dentistry, tooth extraction, unless there are clear indications, is always a last resort.

What indications are involved? The first is advanced decay, when a decayed wisdom tooth has no point or possibility of being treated. It is then necessary to remove it.

Similarly, if the erupted tooth causes a lot of pressure on the dental arch. This will cause crowding of the remaining teeth, resulting in crookedness.

Even if the wisdom tooth is not rotten but is a retained tooth possibleYou will have to reckon with having your eights removed, often surgically. You can read about what the procedure looks like and how to prepare for it in our article "Surgical removal of eights".  

However, before the dentist decides whether an improperly erupted eighth or decayed wisdom tooth should be removed, an office visit will be necessary, but also an X-ray or scan. Eights that are erupted, correctly positioned in relation to the other teeth in the arch, and the carious lesions are not very far advanced will be eligible for treatment.

Treatment of wisdom teeth

In the case of minor tooth decay, the dentist will place a filling after cleaning the tooth. You can read more about the types and prices of fillings in our article "Tooth filling in the UK".  

It may be that the doctor will also prescribe treatment at a higher cavity. Root canal treatment will then be necessary. Since the canals of the molars are narrow and curved, it is possible that the use of a microscope will be necessary in the treatment. Remember, the earlier you go to the dentist with a broken wisdom tooth, the shorter and less expensive the treatment will be. And how much are we talking about? You can find out in our material "Root canal treatment in the UK doesn't have to cost a fortune".

At the same time, we would like to remind you that you can take advantage of the instalment system at our practice. You can spread any treatment over £350 into instalments that are convenient for you. If you would like to find out more take a look at our article "Teeth on credit: dental treatment on hire purchase" or call us. Importantly, it is 100% safe and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 619628).

Back to the subject and the broken wisdom tooth, it can sometimes happen that treatment is necessary. This is the case, for example, when an eighth tooth is very important for the proper shortening of the jaw.  

Similarly, if you don't have neighbouring teeth - sevenths and sixths - then their role is taken over by the aforementioned eighths. This is why it is so important that they are healthy. Otherwise, you may have problems chewing food, but also temporomandibular joint pain or headaches may occur.

In addition, the eights can be useful in the future as a pillar for prosthetic bridges or dentures. Remember, healthy wisdom teeth provide additional support for the remaining molars, so they are well worth looking after.

If you have any further questions or would like to make an appointment please visit contact.