Preventing and Treating Impacted Teeth

When it comes to impacted teeth, the earlier the intervention, the better. Dr. Cynthia Wong is a long-trusted Orland Park orthodontist who regularly assesses children for risk of dental impaction. What this means is that we’re able to determine whether anything will prevent their teeth from erupting in the right place, and if so, what can be done.

People may be familiar with the concept of dental impaction from unerupted wisdom teeth. These are often treated late in adolescence by extracting them. But the wisdom teeth are not the only ones which may be stuck, and extraction is not always necessary. The upper canine teeth often push through the side of the maxillary ridge or are unable to erupt at all. If the patient is a teenager, we may be able to use orthodontic brackets and specially-shaped wires called ballista springs to guide the canines downward.

The bones in children’s skulls have not yet fused together, which allows them to undergo orthodontic procedures unavailable to adults. A procedure like guided canine eruption is unlikely to be successful in a person who has finished adolescence, but a child may not need it if they undergo palate expansion. With a specialized orthodontic appliance, the upper jaw can be widened, making more room for the adult canines and other teeth. It may also be possible to make room for unerupted teeth using ordinary braces if the potential for overcrowding is recognized early enough.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.

 

What is Teeth Sectioning?

Even with today's technology and medical research, teeth extraction are still an unnerving procedure. That’s why Dr. Cynthia Wong of Orland Park, IL, offers a form of extraction known as Teeth Sectioning. This requires less force and recovery time. The tooth is broken into multiple sections for removal. This makes it quicker and easier. Contact our office to learn more.

 

Teeth sectioning is recommended for a few different reasons. Difficult teeth can’t be extracted normally. They might be multi-rooted or unique in some way. Impacted wisdom teeth often require sectioning, due to their larger nature. Lastly, it’s most often used for pediatric extraction. It uses less force while being less intimidating.

 

Dr. Wong begins by applying a local anesthetic to the tooth. She then cuts the pulp and nerve tissue. A dental drill then sections the tooth. Water is continually flushed throughout the area to clean out bone chips and fragments. The sectioned pieces are removed. Finally, stitches close up the wound.

 

Minimal amounts of pain are felt during the procedure due to the local anesthetic. Your Orland Park dentist will provide you with post-operative instructions. These should be followed to avoid infection or loosening stitches. Make sure to avoid harder foods while you recover. Manage your pain levels with a prescription or over-the-counter pain medication.

 

If you or a loved one are in need of a tooth extraction and are interested in our teeth sectioning procedure, contact Dr. Cynthia Wong. We are located in Orland Park, IL. To schedule an appointment, visit our website or call 708-444-8341.

Orthodontic Assessments

Your children’s dentist will monitor their teeth for developmental issues, but they’ll likely refer them to us for a comprehensive orthodontic assessment. At Dr. Cynthia Wong’s Orland Park office, we’ve overseen many children’s orthodontic therapy, providing them with a lifetime of healthy, beautiful teeth. To help families understand the importance of orthodontic assessments, we thought it would be a good idea to describe what to expect.

We’re going to use digital x-rays to determine where a child’s adult teeth are likely to erupt. From the time they’re around seven years old, we can reasonably predict whether their wisdom teeth are at risk of being impacted and if the other teeth are becoming too crowded. However, orthodontic therapy usually does not begin at this age outside of extreme circumstances, such as breathing difficulty or facial deformity. We’ll also ask children questions about whether they have difficulty chewing, whether their jaws or teeth are often sore, and whether they feel fatigued. These questions can help us to determine whether misalignments might be a contributing factor to temporomandibular joint disorder and sleep apnea. We’ll also inspect the wear patterns of their enamel for signs of nighttime teeth grinding. After making an impression of a child’s mouth and running the x-rays through our modeling software, we’ll be able to develop a treatment plan and demonstrate to them and the parents any particular concerns we may have about the future movement of their teeth and jaws.

Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.

 

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

For some people, impacted wisdom teeth just happen. When it comes to a tooth, “impacted” is used to describe one that has not erupted, due to not having enough room to grow. Or, perhaps it’s partially-impacted, which means that it’s trying to erupt, but the surrounding teeth won’t let it. Impacted wisdom teeth are the third and final molars in the back of the mouth. If yours don’t emerge between the ages of 17-22, you may need to discuss extraction with Dr. Cynthia Wong.

Impacted wisdom teeth try to erupt, and while doing so, tend to push on surrounding teeth, causing them to be crooked and misaligned. Partially impacted wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because it’s easier for food to become stuck in these crevices, tooth decay or cavities may develop. Extraction is best to avoid infection, reduce or eliminate headaches, and prevent periodontal disease.

If you have questions or concerns regarding orthodontic treatment or tooth extraction, please give us a call. To learn more about night guards and all the services we provide, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Wisdom Teeth Headaches

Are you constantly waking up with facial pain or experiencing headaches more often than usual? If you’ve answered yes to one or both of these symptoms, Dr. Cynthia Wong of Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics would like you to ask yourself another question. Are your wisdom teeth still intact? Wisdom teeth that are located under the gum line (impacted) can be a cause for concern. Learn why extraction is the best way to treat the problem.

If your wisdom teeth are impacted, they raise the risk of developing an infection. Additionally, impacted wisdom teeth don’t usually emerge without extraction. Because they stay under the gum, they can grow sideways and even at an angle, pushing on a nerve causing wisdom teeth headaches. Wisdom teeth extraction is recommended between the ages of 17-22, but Dr. Cynthia Wong will remove them if necessary, regardless of age.

If you have questions or concerns regarding wisdom teeth extraction, please give us a call. To learn more about night guards and all the services we provide, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Wisdom Teeth Headaches

With age, comes wisdom teeth and when wisdom teeth are impacted, they can cause throbbing in the back of the mouth, swelling around the jaw, and headaches. When wisdom teeth are impacted, this simply means that they are sitting comfortably (or uncomfortably) below the gum line. Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t causing problems. If you experience frequent headaches due to wisdom teeth, Dr. Cynthia Wong may suggest extracting them.

Frequent headaches that occur as a result of jaw pain are a warning sign that wisdom teeth may need to be extracted. This is because wisdom teeth that are pushing through but can’t erupt can put pressure on the jaw joint. If you are experiencing pain and swelling in the jaw, swollen and bleeding gums, or ear pain, schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong to discuss extraction.

If you have concerns about wisdom teeth extraction, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Wisdom Teeth Function

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 Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, Dr. Wong may recommend an extraction 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 causing you pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.