My Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that appear later in a person’s development, these teeth usually erupt; break through the gum tissue after the age of 17. Some will only partially erupt and others will stay completely buried under the tissue. Many patients never develop 3rd molars although a few folks will get 4th molars. Fortunately, these are rare.

It is generally thought among linguists that they are called wisdom teeth because they appear so late, at an age when a person matures into adulthood and is “wiser” than when other teeth have erupted.

When they align properly and gum tissue is healthy, wisdom teeth do not have to be removed. Unfortunately, this does not generally happen. The extraction of wisdom teeth is necessary when they are prevented from properly erupting within the mouth. They may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gum and even remain trapped beneath the gum and bone. Impacted teeth can take many positions in the bone as they attempt to find a pathway that will allow them to erupt successfully.

These poorly positioned impacted teeth can cause many problems.

• Due to crowding that often occurs in the area of third molar eruption, food, debris, and bacteria collect in areas that are impossible to clean. This can lead to serious and life-threatening infection.
• Severe decay is induced by the eruption of the mesially angled third molar into the distal surface of the adjacent second molar.
• The appearance of infection is the most common reason for the immediate removal of wisdom teeth.
• If the wisdom teeth are impacted and embedded in the bone and if the extraction is inevitable, the oral surgeon will put an incision into the gums and remove the tooth or teeth in sections in order to minimize the amount of bone being removed.