WISTOM TEETH MYTHS

One of the biggest myths about wisdom teeth extraction is timing. When should wisdom teeth be removed? I have had countless parents/patients say to me, “but isn’t she/he too young”. Treatment of any medical condition should not be based on age alone. Can you imagine a physician saying “he is too young to have high blood pressure so we won’t treat it”. This would never happen! Everyone is different, not only in life, but also in tooth development. In our opinion, the most important factors to determine when to have wisdom teeth removed is evidence of clinical/radiographic pathology, symptoms, and prevention of complications of removal. Having wisdom teeth removed is not without risk, so prevention of complications is very important. At East Columbus Oral Surgery Specialists, prevention of complications is just as important to us as treating and eliminating symptoms created by wisdom teeth. This means we remove the wisdom teeth independent of chronologic age. We remove them based on what is referred to often as “dental age”. That is the developmental maturity of the teeth, not how old someone happens to be. Removing the wisdom teeth before the root growth is extremely close to the Inferior Alveolar Nerve (the nerve that runs closely to the tooth in the bone) is very important. This is different in everyone and can even be different in siblings! To summarize, we treat the individual. Treatment is independent of norms, old wives tales, and opinions. Our treatment is based on science, research, and many years of experience removing wisdom teeth safely without complications.
Finally, inquire about how we can save you potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars. We are in-network with most insurances, this means you only pay what your insurance does not. You only pay the insurance companies fee schedule. Additionally, many out-of-network providers make patients pay the entire amount upfront and then the insurance reimburses them for the insurance portion weeks to months later. Here you pay only your portion and we wait on the insurance company to pay the difference. We not only care about your oral health but also your financial health!

Doctors Andrew Mullendore and Douglas Von Kaenel