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Over the years, you may experience teeth problems even if you have excellent oral hygiene habits. Many patients experience a growing pain at the edge of their mouth, which can lead to excruciating pain and even infection of the gums. This is primarily caused by the presence of wisdom teeth.
“What are wisdom teeth?”
Third molars, which are commonly known as wisdom teeth, come out when a person’s in their late teens to their early twenties. Unlike the rest of their teeth, wisdom teeth only come out once all available spaces for teeth have been taken. They attempt to squish their way out by pushing themselves towards its neighboring tooth. This is what almost always requires the need for professional extraction.
Because of this, many people choose to have their wisdom teeth removed in their earlier years of growth. Unfortunately, this varies from person to person, which is why individuals may have different timelines for the appearance of their third molars.
“Why do we have wisdom teeth?”
Wisdom teeth are a remembrance of humanity’s evolution process. Ancient humans required extra molars to tear and chew through food. With the development of cooking practices, third molars no longer served a practical function with our eating habits.
Depending on the person’s genetic makeup, they may have anything from four wisdom teeth to none at all. Although third molars generally appear after when a person is in their early twenties, some people have experienced the presence of wisdom teeth in their early childhood.
“What if I don’t have wisdom teeth?”
Contrary to popular belief, not all people are biologically designed to have wisdom teeth. Around a third of the population actually doesn’t develop them in the first place, with those who do have them have a fair chance of not requiring wisdom tooth removal.
“Why do wisdom teeth need to be removed?”
Preventing infection is the primary purpose of removing wisdom teeth. Since these third molars appear once all the space has already been filled, they’re most likely misaligned, which causes alignment issues for nearby teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth can also come out partially through the gums’ soft tissue, creating a high risk of infection and bacteria to grow.
There are cases that some people don’t need to have their third molars removed. This is primarily because they have enough space in their teeth’s alignment for their arrival. If a person’s set of third molars aren’t impacted or causing growing pains, then there’s no reason for them to be surgically removed.
“How are wisdom teeth removed?
Wisdom tooth extraction is performed through a surgical procedure where the patient is administered with anesthesia. The oral surgeon will then make an incision in the gum tissue to expose the tooth and bone, and then divide the tooth into sections for easier removal. Once the removal is done, cleaning the site and debris of bone is performed to avoid any risk of infection.
The patient may experience swelling or bruising after the treatment for a few days. They’re also advised to avoid carbonated, caffeinated or alcoholic beverages within the first 24 hours to avoid dislodging the exposed socket’s blood clot.
Conclusion
Although wisdom teeth are sometimes harmless to keep, they may pose a considerable health risk to the person if they’re not treated or removed immediately. Frequently receiving check-ups from your local dentist is the best way to make sure that you’re not at risk of any dental problems.
Dental House is the home of dentistry in Ann Arbor. We offer affordable dentistry services for your oral hygiene needs. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our different dental treatments!
