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Third Moolars: Wisdom Teeth

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The extraction of third molars, also referred to as wisdom teeth is one of the most debated topics among dental professionals and accounts for a large portion of dental revenue. Just about everyone develops third molars and if they erupt into the oral cavity, they function as the most distal grinding teeth in the oral cavity. However it is very common for these teeth to develop in an irregular pattern also referred to as impaction. If this happens it is highly recommended that the patient have them removed before they cause pain or damage to the surrounding teeth. Other common reasons for extraction include symptoms of pathological findings as well as prevention of future problems further down the road. Due to the fact that there are many different issues that could potentially develop due to third molars it is …show more content…

Third molars, also knows as wisdom teeth are the large grinding teeth in the back of the oral cavity and usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Most patients develop wisdom teeth in all four quadrants of their mouth, upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left. While some studies suggest the removal of third molars others suggest patients should pass on extraction unless they are experiencing problems. However, in the United States prophylactic removal of third molars (wisdom teeth) is advocated by almost all oral and maxillofacial surgeons and many general dentists (Friedman, J. 2007). Removal of third molars, is one of the most common dental surgical procedure in the United States, representing 95% of all extractions among persons with insurance aged 16 to 21 years and revenues over 3 billion dollars a year (Cunha-Cruz, J., et al.,

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