Jaw Health and Wisdom Teeth
TEMPORO MANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER (T.M.J.) AND OCCLUSAL PROBLEMS

The temporo - mandibular joint is the joint between your lower jaw and skull, located just in front of each ear. Occlusion is the way you bite your teeth together. If your teeth do not bite together correctly you can develop problems in your teeth, gums, temporo - mandibular joint or the muscles that move your jaw. Clenching or grinding of your teeth can cause many problems, commonly leading to fractured teeth, loosening crowns or heavy wearing of fillings. It can also aggravate gum disease or give you long term problems with your T.M.J. such as clicking or popping joints. Pain in the muscles can develop, leading to chronic headaches or generalised pain in the face, neck or shoulders.

One in four people have been reported to show some symptoms. If you feel that you may have this problem please let us know and we will be happy to discuss it with you and devise a treatment plan.

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth begin to appear from the late teens onwards. Most of us have four wisdom teeth but fewer is not unusual. Some people have none at all.

They erupt last and often there isn't room. Subsequently they can come through at an angle or pressing against other teeth or bone.

Your dentist can take x-rays to show the position of the wisdom teeth in the jaw and decide if there will be room or if they will need to be extracted. Extractions are often performed by a specialist.

Sometimes as wisdom teeth are coming through the surrounding gum becomes inflamed and sore, this is "pericoronitis'. When this condition has happened it can sometimes settle down but it is often better to remove the teeth.

Modern removal of wisdom teeth means no more pain or infection and damage to other teeth or bone stops.