Dentists in Annapolis are relied on for many services, such as performing dental exams, filling cavities, and providing cosmetic treatments. Sometimes, patients need their family dentist to make a referral if they need more specialized treatment. A complicated root canal might need to be handled by an endodontist, for example. Impacted wisdom teeth might need to be removed by an oral surgeon.
About Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are the third molars and are the last of all the teeth to grow in. They don’t appear until years after the other molars have errupted. They are of little use to humans now, but many scientists believe humans evolved to have these teeth for replacing others that had fallen out by early adulthood. That would likely have been relatively common in past eras.
The only way dentists can monitor these teeth is with X-rays. By a certain age, patients will likely be getting X-rays from Dentists in Annapolis to view their wisdom teeth every year. The dental practitioner wants to be sure these molars are coming in straight and that they will not crowd other teeth. The molars may not actually start pushing through the gum tissue until the patient is a little beyond the teenage years. The dentist wants to know what is happening well before that occurs.
Uncomplicated Teeth Extractions
Family dentists with a practice like Annapolis Dental Associates perform the less-complicated teeth extractions as necessary. Usually, this is only done if a tooth has become too diseased to save or when a patient does not have dental insurance and cannot afford root canal treatment. Extractions also are done when an injury has broken a tooth too severely to be saved. The dentist can replace the missing tooth with an implant or a bridge.
Sedation Dentistry
If patients ever do need to have a relatively simple extraction performed, the dentist may recommend sedation. The patient also can ask about this option as well. Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is administered through a nose mask that the patient can remove. The effects dissipate almost immediately. Other types of sedation have longer-lasting effects but may be used in more complex situations.
