Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom Teeth are called the upper and lower third molars. They are the last of the molar teeth, which are the large grinding teeth at the back of each side of the jaws.

Human permanent teeth start to erupt from the age of six. Up to the age of 17, the permanent dentition will consist of only twenty-eight teeth. The four remaining teeth, the wisdom teeth, will come in later, usually during late teen years or early twenties.

In many people, wisdom teeth come in with no problems. If the teeth are healthy and they come in straight, then most of people do not even realize the teeth are there. Unfortunately, in some cases, they cause problems that require the wisdom teeth removal (extraction) by the dentist.

Since wisdom teeth are the last permanent teeth to erupt, there is often not enough room left in the mouth for them to erupt properly.

If the jaw is not large enough to accommodate all the teeth that are growing in, the teeth will not be able to come through the gums as they get stuck, most often against the tooth in front, and so they remain below the jawline. Those teeth that are unable to erupt properly, trapped beneath the gum tissue by other teeth or bone, are called impacted wisdom teeth.

The impacted wisdom teeth may cause pain as they press the other teeth, but in some cases you may feel nothing at all for years or not even be aware that you have an impacted wisdom tooth. In other cases the impacted tooth may damage the tooth next to it, or the gums around the wisdom tooth can become infected and quite painful. Swelling and tenderness may also occur.

A wisdom tooth might also erupt only partially, if it gets stuck just when going through the gumline. In this case, food, plaque and bacteria can become trapped under the flap of gum covering part of the tooth, causing infections. Inflammation of this flap is called pericoronitis and is the most common symptom among people who need a wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom teeth that only partially emerge or come in crooked can also lead to painful crowding and gum disease.

Wisdom teeth problems also occur when they do not come in straight. Sometimes they erupt crooked, facing the wrong direction and causing irritation on the cheek, tongue, or other parts of the mouth. This can make it difficult to keep the wisdom teeth clean. Since the area between the tooth and gums becomes hard to reach and be cleaned very well, there is increased risk of irritation or infection of that area due to dental plaque accumulation.