We recommend wisdom-teeth removal if a teenager has any of the following problems: pain; damage to adjacent teeth; gum disease; tooth decay; lack of space to accommodate the teeth; infection; or cysts. If wisdom teeth must be removed, it is best to wait until the roots are approximately two-thirds formed. This stage of root growth usually corresponds to late adolescence and allows for an easier procedure with an easier recovery.

On average, the first tooth erupts when a child is between six and eight months old, though variation in the timing and sequence of tooth eruption is perfectly normal. A child’s first set of teeth—”primary teeth” or “milk teeth”—generally erupts from front to back, beginning with the lower front teeth (central incisors). The last of the primary teeth come in when the child is between two and three years old.

Most children begin to lose their primary teeth around age six, a process that continues until they reach 10-12 years of age. The first permanent teeth to show up are typically either the first molars—called the “six-year molars”—or the lower central incisors. Aside from wisdom teeth, the last teeth to come in are generally the second molars. Again, variability in the timing and sequence of this process is normal.

The last teeth to erupt are the third molars, or “wisdom teeth.” This usually happens somewhere between the ages of 17 and 21.

A dental implant, used to replace a missing tooth, is a titanium screw surgically placed into the bone that supports your teeth. The implant integrates itself into the bone and provides a base for a future crown. After a period of healing (up to six months), we begin the process of fabricating an artificial tooth crown. After taking impressions of your mouth, we create a crown that looks like a real tooth.

A root canal is a procedure for removing the nerve and blood supply from a tooth in which the nerve has been infected or traumatized. We begin by placing a barrier (rubber dam) over the affected tooth; then we access the root-canal system through the tooth’s crown. We use files to remove the nerve and bacterial infection from inside the canal. After that, we shape, clean, and fill the tooth. Depending on the location of the treated tooth, we may find it necessary to place a crown over the tooth to protect it after the root canal is finished.