Wisdom Teeth: The Passage To Adulthood

Your wisdom teeth come in during your teens and are called wisdom teeth because they come at a time when you are expected to gain wisdom because you are heading into your adult years. They are your 3rd molars to come in; the first when you are a baby, the 2nd set came in when you were around 10 and now this set. Because they are often the last teeth to come in, there is often not enough room along your jaw line for them to come in. Often, they come in sideways and are then called "impacted teeth".

Another problem with Wisdom Teeth is that they often get ignored when it comes to brushing. Decay can settle in quickly when the molars are not brushed.

So, if the wisdom teeth can cause so many problems, why do we have them? They actually had more use in years past, when people used to lose more permanent teeth; they were considered to be replacement teeth. Through good dental hygiene and advanced dental care, most people keep most if not all of their permanent teeth, therefore not having room for the wisdom teeth when they come in. Should you be lucky and your wisdom teeth come in straight, your dentist will check them periodically to be sure they are not becoming decayed. If they came in crooked or sideways, your dentist will likely recommend that they be pulled.

Symptoms

You may notice that may signal that your wisdom teeth need to be removed:

Pain

Swelling around your wisdom teeth

What The Dentist Will Do

X-Rays will be taken to see if there is infection. The x-rays will also show if they are impacted. If they are impacted, they will not have any room to come up thru the gum.

There are times when the dentist may decide to remove the wisdom teeth even if they are not impacted, because of the threat of chronic bacterial infection. This infection can lead to infection in the gum or possible danger to the other teeth. It is a known dental fact, that often times the bacteria that causes decay starts in the wisdom teeth; so taking them out can increase the chance of the rest of your teeth staying healthy.

Your dentist may also tell you that the wisdom teeth are easier to take out while you are younger. The jawbone is less dense and the root of the wisdom teeth are not yet fully developed yet.

Why Is It That Bacteria Attacks Wisdom Teeth More?

Your front teeth are surrounded by the gum and keeps bacteria out. It is also more difficult to floss or brush way in back of your mouth and many people do not do a good job of flossing or brushing back there. When you have poor dental care (neglecting to brush or floss), bacteria can gather and cause decay.

Removal

Wisdom teeth are usually removed in the dental office of an oral or maxillofacial surgeon. Your regular dentist will give you a referral to this kind of a surgeon. The surgeon will examine your teeth and look at the x-rays your regular dentist took. The surgeon will also discuss anesthesia with you. Usually you will be told to wear something comfortable on the day of your surgery. You will need someone to come along with you, who can drive you home afterwards. You will also be handed instructions to follow the night before. You will be told when to stop eating or drinking (usually at least 6 hrs. prior to surgery).

Your dentist will usually cut the tooth into smaller pieces to make removal easier. You should not feel any pain because of the sedation. You will have stitches in your gum where the wisdom teeth were removed.

Possible Complications

Infection

Sinus Complication

Injury to other teeth

Temporary numbness

Temporary jaw joint problems

Very rarely - fracture of the jaw

The surgeon will advise you to eat soft foods for a week if your jaw seems weak after surgery as a precaution

Often you look like "chipmunk cheeks", after surgery and you may have some bruising along the jaw line. You may also have some pain or swelling. These after surgery symptoms will disappear within 48 to 72 hours.