With December around the corner, chances are you’re thinking about how you’re going to manage your time off work to spend time with incoming and immediate family during the holiday season. But scheduled time off around your child’s school vacation shouldn’t only be dedicated to wrapping gifts and cooking a Christmas meal. Now is also the perfect time to make use of essential dental treatments that could prevent future issues with your child’s oral development later.
December is the perfect time to consider wisdom tooth extractions in Colorado Springs for a couple different reasons.
The Winter Break
Wisdom teeth typically begin erupting around 18 to 25 years of age. That means people are most likely to experience erupting wisdom teeth during their late high school years and early to late college years. More likely than not, your children will be home for the holidays, meaning they’ll have plenty of extra time to get dental appointments completed. If they’ve been reporting pain in the back of their mouth that they cannot seem to explain, it’s time to get them to the dentist.
Furthermore, wisdom tooth extractions are not exactly a simple and quick process. While the treatment itself is typically over in one visit, healing time is crucial after the surgery is complete. On average, expect to dedicate at least one week to healing. If your child is likely to spend most of their holiday break inside, they might as well do something productive for their oral health while they are at home.
Maximizing Insurance Benefits While You Can
Do you have dental insurance benefits that are unused? Perhaps you have a Flexible Spending Account with unused funds you’ve collected over the past year? Benefits like these will not carry into the new year, making them “use it or lose it.” Instead of letting them expire, allocating them towards your child’s wisdom tooth extraction now can help you save time and money going into the new year. It’s the perfect way to take advantage of deductibles you’ve probably met by now. Just make sure to confirm your coverage by contacting your insurance company first.
Why a Periodontist is Best to Perform Treatment
Wisdom teeth have a tendency to not be as simple of a procedure as you’d think. In some cases, the tooth is easily visible and therefore only requires a simple extraction. However, if the tooth becomes impacted, infected, malformed, broken or another issue appears, a surgical extraction will be needed. This is often more complicated and is best suited for a dental professional who has the right experience.
Periodontists are specially trained to perform surgical extractions, regardless of their complexity. Don’t let your child’s holiday go by without protecting their smile. Schedule an appointment to learn more about wisdom teeth extractions in Colorado Springs and the associated symptoms.
About the Author
Dr. Karl Lackler earned his Master of Science in Periodontics from the Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He rated in the top 3 percent of the National Periodontal Board Exam and was selected as the Chief of Periodontics at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. To learn more about his experience or practice, you can contact him through his website.