DID YOU KNOW OUR JAW SIZE IS GETTING SMALLER EVERYDAY?

Our mouths often don’t have the space to accommodate all of our teeth, which results in crowding, along with the poor alignment of the teeth. Our ancestors only 200-300 years ago had fully functional wisdom teeth with much bigger jaws than we do. They needed big, strong jaws to chew the uncooked vegetables, meat and tough foods that often made up their diet.

Changes came after the industrial revolution with a big shift in food, as we moved from farms to cities, and started having a softer diet, consuming cooked foods like beans and cereals that required less chewing and less effort, and didn’t demand such a high level of mouth strength. Over time, as jaws became smaller in response to these dietary changes, teeth didn’t follow suit, remaining around the same size. This likely led to the problem of a small jaw size which is so common today.

Over 80% of the modern population now gets impacted wisdom teeth, although wisdom teeth are now unnecessary teeth. Today our meals are softer and easier to chew, and our jaws and dentition have shortened as a result, so there just isn’t room for wisdom teeth. This is why wisdom teeth are often impacted or misaligned in the jaw when they erupt in the mouth. Such impaction of wisdom teeth often leads to infection, pain, and other dental problems. Wisdom teeth have become vestigial organs like the appendix.

The human development caused an abrupt change in the way human dentition had been evolving. The jaw is slimming down and the face is lengthening. Changes in human diet, food preparation, and technology have made meat and other foods tender and easier to chew, again reducing the need for a large dentition. The uniquely human ability to make technological advances such as the introduction of mixer/ grinders made it possible to stew food to a liquid consistency, along with highly processed foods has altered the course of dentition, and large teeth became even less essential to survival.

The advent of modern dentistry, and the ability to extract impacted, infected wisdom teeth helps to give a healthy and productive life afterward.

Extraction of Grossly Mutilated Teeth/Impacted Wisdom Teeth

If teeth are fractured, severely broken or inordinately infected and can’t be saved by root canal/nerve treatment/capping, then it becomes mandatory to extract or remove the teeth.

Reduction of Jaw Fractures

This is a process by which the broken portions of the jaws are reduced and then stabilized. A dislocated jaw means that the joint where the jaw connects with the skull is moved out of place. Jaws are often the subject of injury or trauma resulting in fracture because of its rigid structure and commanding position. The signs and symptoms of a jawbone fracture begin to develop immediately after trauma to the jaw. The most common symptom is jaw pain. Jaw fractures are common and require immediate treatment to avoid any life-threatening complications. Depending on the nature and location of the fracture, the fracture may have to be fixed with surgery. Some fractures do not require surgery and are managed by pain control.

However, some patients may suffer more immediate complications that can be life threatening such as airway blocking, bleeding, and aspiration of food, blood, or fluid into the lungs.
Some people may develop infections of the jaw or face, misaligned teeth, or both, especially if the treatment is delayed, or not appropriate, or if the fracture is unstable.
Inadequate or poor healing of some fractures may lead to TMJ dislocation

Removal of Cysts

Cysts in the oral cavity are treated with the principle of Marsupalisation. Here a window is made in the wall of the cyst and the evacuation of the contents is done. Now the intracystic pressure is decreased and shrinkage of the cyst occurs. Once the cyst has shrunk it can be easily extracted.

What are the most common dental surgery procedures?

The most common dental surgeries are:
• Extractions.
• Surgical removal of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
• Dental Implants
• Biopsies of the oral tissues
• Jaw Surgeries
• Fractures
• Apicocetomies

Out of the above mentioned surgeries, wisdom tooth removal and implants surgeries are routinely done and are most common.

How long does it take to recover from a dental surgery?

This really varies from patient to patient and also depends upon the type of surgical procedure you have gone through. Your compliance and how you follow the aftercare instructions. For example, for a simple extraction (tooth which is completely erupted in the mouth) the recovery is short and settles in 48-72 hours. For a surgical extraction (tooth which is within the gums or jaw), the recovery takes 3-5 days. The soft tissues take 3-4 weeks time to fully heal but you can resume your normal routine life in 3-4 days.

How can I heal faster after an oral surgery?

For faster recovery after the surgery follow the instructions given to you by your dentist strictly.

Take the prescribed medications on time.
Avoid brushing/ flossing near the site of treatment for few days but keep the site clean by rinsing gently.
Do not spit or rinse at all for the first 24 hours so that a proper blood clot can form.
Do not smoke after the surgical procedure as it can increase the chances of infection.
Eat soft food for a day or so.
Use ice. Apply ice packs to your face for 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off to keep swelling down.
Eat / drink foods rich in vitamin A and C.

Is the removal of the third molar tooth/ wisdom tooth mandatory?

Wisdom tooth is the last tooth which erupts in the mouth. The age of eruption of the wisdom tooth is anytime between 17-25 years, after which they do not erupt. Sometime their emergence can be problematic and can have a negative impact on the adjacent teeth, resulting in pain and damage, amongst other problems. Hence their removal becomes mandatory. The various problems are:
• Pain in wisdom tooth.
• Repeated infection of soft tissue behind the lower last tooth.
• Difficulty in opening the mouth.
• Swelling around the jaws.
• Some time the position of the wisdom tooth is such that is causes damage to the adjacent teeth.
• Extensive tooth decay.
• Cysts or tumors.

What are the dangers of Ignoring Wisdom Teeth Pain?

Most people ignore wisdom tooth pain assuming that it will resolve on its own once the tooth grows in the mouth. But this ignorance of repeated pain can actually worsen the situation. If the impacted wisdom teeth are not removed, they can cause:
• Severe pain and swelling (Pericoronitis).
• Difficulty in eating and mouth opening(Trismus).
• They could damage the adjacent teeth.
• Gum disease and tooth decay.
• Cause a cyst to develop
• The increased pressure caused by the wisdom teeth may result in the numbness of your jaw and face.
• When the wisdom teeth do not have space to grow properly in the mouth. It leads to infections, irritation, and overcrowding of the other teeth. This could eventually lead to the need for braces or gum treatments.

Can a upper wisdom tooth extraction lead to eye problems?

This is a most common misconception that the removal of any tooth (most commonly upper ones) will damage the eyesight, but No, there is no connection in between eye and teeth. The nerves that enter teeth and eyes are different and has no inter connection. When people suffer from a toothache, the feeling of pain on the nerves of the tooth may be transmitted to other facial nerves, so it can cause swelling and discomfort of the cheek or eyes. However the removal of any tooth does not cause any damage to these organs.

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