Impacted Wisdom Teeth
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Third molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth. They are usually the last teeth to develop and are located in the back of your mouth, behind your second molars. Their development is usually completed between the middle teenage years and early twenties, a time traditionally associated with the onset of maturity and the attainment of wisdom.
Wisdom Teeth Presentation
To provide you with a better understanding of wisdom teeth, we have provided the following multimedia presentation. Many common questions pertaining to wisdom teeth are discussed.
What Is An Impacted Tooth?
Although most people develop and grow 32 permanent adult teeth, many times their jaws are too small to accommodate the four wisdom teeth. When inadequate space prevents the teeth from erupting they are called impacted. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.
Types Of Impactions
We will need to see you for a consultation to determine if you will benefit from wisdom tooth removal. A special x-ray of your mouth and jaws (panorex) will be taken to determine if your wisdom teeth are impacted, if there is room for them to erupt, and how difficult it will be to have them removed.
- Soft Tissue Impaction: There is not enough room to allow the gum tissue to retract for adequate cleaning of the tooth.
- Partial Bony Impaction: There is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to partially erupt. However, the tooth cannot function properly in the chewing process, and creates cleaning problems, among others.
- Complete Bony Impaction: There is NO space for the tooth to erupt. It remains embedded in the jaw bone or if even partially visible requires complex surgical techniques for removal.The impacted wisdom tooth may also be in an unusual position and difficult to remove. This situation can also arise when the shape or size of the jaw bone and other facial structures make removal of this tooth significantly more complex.
Soft Tissue
Partial Bony
Complete BonyCortland Oral Surgery
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My son needed his wisdom teeth extracted and the orthodontist referred us to Dr SanGiacomo. The office staff was friendly and helpful with scheduling and making sure our insurance was billed correctly. During the first visit the doctor answered all of our questions and explained the procedure to us. Dr. SanGiacomo was wonderful with my son making him feel comfortable during what could've been an extremely stressful time. The doctors sense of humor helped make my son less anxious about the surgery. The assistants were very nice and took time explaining the post surgery instructions so that I knew what to expect once we were home. I highly recommend their office.
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Had a great experience today everything was explained to me and everyone was friendly
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Great staff and easy visit.
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I was anxious about my molar extraction. The staff was friendly and courteous. Tamara was kind and helpful. The "Mouth Care" pamphlet is thorough and provides written advice after returning home. Although, I would not want to have another extraction, the Cortland Oral Surgery Center is where I would return if additional dental work were needed.
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Great Surgeon, Would recommend for sure. They go above and beyond. Thanks for the new smile
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Love Dr SanGiacomo and his staff!
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Everyone at the office was very kind and helpful during what could've been a nerve-wracking experience. Dr. SanGiacomo spent a lot of time explaining the procedure to me so that I felt very comfortable before starting the extraction.
- Kristina B