The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

RiP ry DENTAL ASSOCIATES To wisdom or not, that is the question. Many patients who visit Port Perry Dental Associates ask why wisdom teeth should be removed if there is no pain or infection present. The answer is: Preventative Medicine. First of all, wisdom teeth, or “third” molars, are the third set of molars, which grow at the far upper and lower corners of the jaw. Wisdom teeth often make their debut when a person is approximately 15 to 25- years -old. By the time they erupt, the patient’s mouth is usually already full of teeth, leaving no clear space for them to grow into the mouth. Often the result is that all or part of the crown of the wisdom tooth, and all of its roots, remain submerged below the gum line, and often grow on a crooked angle. This can cause unpleasant future oral health issues. If wisdom teeth are not removed, they can become impacted, which basically means staying trapped below the gum line. If a wisdom tooth is unable to fully erupt to become a healthy, functioning tooth, several problems may occur. The pressure that impacted wisdom teeth can put on neighbouring teeth is unhealthy. If not extracted, wisdom teeth can lead to periodontal (gum) disease. If the crown of a wisdom tooth remains trapped underneath the gums, 18 FOCUS - MAY 2014