An orthodontist is a dental expert specialized in the alignment of jaws and positioning of teeth in the mouth. They work with braces and bands to control the movement of teeth, improving the functionality and appearance of smiles.

What Are the Reasons You Need Orthodontics?

The patients that need orthodontic treatment to benefit the functionality of their mouths are more than those that need it for cosmetic reasons. Fortunately, smile orthodontics caters to both the function and aesthetics of your smile. Some of the reasons you would need to visit an orthodontist in Fort Saskatchewan are:

1. Crowded mouth – occurs when you have too many teeth in your mouth relative to the amount of space in your jawbone. While you may have the standard number of teeth in an adult mouth, the teeth may be too big to fit in the available space in the jawbone. However, some patients have more than the standard number of teeth, usually due to stubborn baby teeth that did not fall off in good time.
2. Crooked teeth – a big part of your smile’s aesthetics is the alignment of your teeth. The crookedness of teeth occurs when they grow facing the wrong direction.
3. Gaps between teeth – spaces in your mouth should only be visible when you have lost your natural teeth. However, you may have spaces that have nothing to do with losing teeth, which require orthodontic treatment to correct.
4. Misaligned jawbone – results in improper bites, which limits the functionality of your mouth when chewing, speaking, and performing other tasks. An improper bite can be a crossbite, underbite, or overbite. These challenges put a strain on your facial muscles and jawbone, causing dental pain that is otherwise avoidable.

Why Do Dentists Recommend Pulling Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last molars to grow in a human mouth, usually between 16 and 25 years. As the last teeth erupt, they tend to be problematic because of their positioning at the furthest part of the jawbone. By that age, all the other natural teeth will have grown and taken up their position in the jawbone. It leaves little or no room for any other teeth to grow. It is the reason why wisdom teeth hardly have ample room in the jawbone to erupt well, hence presenting problems like:

1. Impacted wisdom teeth – occurs when the wisdom teeth do not completely erupt from the jawbone. It means a part of the tooth remains stuck under the gum tissue.
2. Overlapping teeth – with insufficient room to grow, the last molars may erupt in the wrong direction, overlapping with your existing molars and premolars.
3. Dental cavities and tooth decay – since wisdom teeth are the furthest in your jawbone, you may have difficulty keeping them clean as you do the rest of your teeth. It increases the likelihood of plaque and tartar forming on your wisdom teeth, resulting in various infections.
4. Dental pain – the process of wisdom teeth erupting can be quite painful as the teeth navigate a tight space. The pain is worse if the teeth erupt improperly so that they continue to cause swelling, tenderness, and redness of your gums. It can make it very uncomfortable to eat or chew anything when wisdom teeth break out from the gums.
5. Risk of infection – sometimes, dentists in Fort Saskatchewan may recommend removing your wisdom teeth even before they have an infection to mitigate its probability. It is typical for patients battling chronic problems or undergoing intense medication like chemotherapy or radiation.

Who Can Remove Your Wisdom Teeth?

Technically, any dental expert can recommend the removal of your wisdom teeth. After a dental exam employing x-rays, your dentist can determine whether your wisdom teeth are problematic or not. (S)he will advise accordingly about the risks that the wisdom teeth pose to your general health, then you can both decide upon the best course of action.

When it regards the removal of wisdom teeth, any dentist can do it. However, only an oral surgeon is trained and experienced in using IV sedation for such a procedure. It means you will be asleep during a procedure waking up with a recollection of somewhat good memories of your experience. It is, therefore, much safer to have an oral surgeon remove your wisdom teeth, especially given how deeply rooted these teeth are in the jawbone.