Sectioning - A Way of Prepping for Extractions

We’ve mentioned before on our blog that we at Alta Loma Dental Care safely remove patients’ wisdom teeth. One of the ways in which we do this is by sectioning them before removal. This means that a tooth is cut apart so it does not have to be yanked out all at once.

The typical way to remove a tooth is by rocking it back and forth while pushing or pulling it. There are two important limitations of this. One is that a wisdom tooth may be too firmly connected to the jaw to be pulled without using a dangerous amount of force; the other is that it may be partially covered by gum tissue and not have enough room to move. Using a dental drill, our doctors can cut a wisdom tooth apart while the patient is numbed and won’t feel anything. They can then pull pieces of the sectioned tooth out through smaller openings without needing nearly as much force. This also makes it less likely that a tooth will break accidentally while being pulled.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

What is the Purpose of Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens, or early twenties. During this “age of wisdom” phase, sometimes teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often they are misaligned and require removal. Some might think of wisdom teeth as spare tires, because if you lost your teeth, the wisdom teeth would be extra teeth that come in and function like normal teeth. Here at Alta Loma Dental Care Dr. Kim can perform extractions depending on their position and stage of development.

So why do we have them? Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent; however, they don’t always need to be removed.

If your wisdom teeth are still present and they are beginning to bother you, give us a call to discuss your options. To learn more about our orthodontic services visit www.altalomadentalcare.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim at Alta Loma Dental Care in Alta Loma, CA, call 909-987-6268.