BEN H. BRITT, JR., DDS, PA

In the last edition of the blog, we discussed the first of 4 major issues that determine whether or not someone will need their wisdom teeth removed. We talked about the age ranges that we see people typically need to have their wisdom teeth removed.

Today, we are going to talk about Spacing, or rather lack there of, and how it relates to the need for wisdom teeth removal.

Really this discussion is about the lack of space in someone’s mouth, which usually leads to wisdom teeth that are impacted. When I say impacted, I mean that they are “locked in” either by your gums or bone and will never be able to come in. This becomes a problem due to the angle that the teeth are usually situated that causes them to push on the molars in front of them, leading to pain and aching that will be confined to the area or has been known to radiate all the way to the ear. At the very least, this situation can affect your other teeth and create greater crowding.

Next time we will discuss infection and wisdom teeth…

Until then…

Dr. B

Probably the most often questions that I get from patients are those that involve wisdom teeth, or 3rd molars as we dentists call them. The first issue to deal with is whether or not one’s wisdom teeth need to be removed. A professor once told me that the answer “it depends” is one that no one wants to hear, but is probably the answer that is right most of the time. So, what does it depend on?

In my opinion, it depends on on 4 major issues: Age, Space or Lack of, Current Infection, and/or Risk of Future Infection.

The age range is what we will discuss today. There are two distinct age ranges. Those that have them removed preventatively or for orthodontics versus those that have them taken out due to pain. When a 17 -19 year old has signs that their wisdom teeth will cause them problems in the future, we have them “preventatively” removed before any infection or pain starts. If they are not removed during this time period then somewhere between the ages of 21 – 28 is when a number of people end up having them removed due to pain or swelling. This is not to say that once you hit 30 that you are totally in the clear, but your chances of keeping them for the duration sure do go up.

Until next time…

Dr. Britt

This past Wednesday night at the new convention center in downtown Raleigh, the city planner’s vision for Raleigh’s future was unveiled. The overall purpose for the Raleigh 2030 plan is to shape the city into more concentrated areas which would cut down on urban sprawl and in effect cut city maintenance bills.

The areas that the city will use to concentrate the population are listed as urban centers. These urban centers are downtown Raleigh, Brier Creek, North Hills, Crabtree Valley, west Raleigh, Cameron Village and North Carolina State University, Triangle Town Center, and New Bern Avenue near WakeMed.

So, what does being an urban center mean for those of us in the Brier Creek area. It means that we should expect a lot of new neighbors. Raleigh expects to build between 72,000 and 120,000 new homes by 2030 and wants 60% of these to be built in these new urban centers. These new homes will be smaller, and built closer to each other and to major roads. There will also be an emphasis placed on non-automobile transportation which includes mass transit.

As far as Raleigh goes, this is a really bold step for shaping what is an ever growing city. However, nationwide, this is a very common occurance as most major cities are pushing similar plans.

I, for one, have lived in North Carolina my entire life and have been here in Raleigh for the past 12 years. Like many of you, I have watched this city seemingly triple in size in the past few years bringing with it some of the joys of big city life and the sorrows of an infrastructure that struggles to keep up. As for this plan, I hope that there is a commitment on the part of the city to invest in the infrastructure that will make this all possible. If they do, I believe that we can have a city that blends a unique mixture of big city amenities while still maintaining a little southern charm.

For more information on this topic or to download the entire 2030 plan for our city, go to
www.planningraleigh2030.com

Until next time…

Dr. B

Welcome the the Britt Dental blog. Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions about dental hygiene, proper dental care, dental insurance, and area information.

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