Most people have heard of wisdom teeth, but the question is, why do they need to be removed so often? Do you really need to get your wisdom teeth removed?
Not everyone will get their wisdom teeth removed, and in some cases, you may not even have them – and if you do, you may not need to have them removed. However, most people do have them, and most of those people do need to have their wisdom teeth extracted.
First of all, wisdom teeth do not make you smarter. The name comes from the fact that they usually come in when you are older (and wiser).
Typically, wisdom teeth come in between the ages of 17-21, but there are always exceptions. Wisdom teeth are also referred to as your third molars. They are located at the back of your mouth, behind the rest of your teeth. Two on the top, two on the bottom. With your wisdom teeth, a person should usually have 32 adult teeth.
Molars are wide, tough, and their purpose is to grind up your food as you chew.
So, why don’t we need an extra set of molars in the back of our mouths? Well, they often create more problems than anything else in this case. Here’s a few of the reasons a dentist will likely recommend that you have your wisdom teeth removed:
-They can be impacted, meaning they didn’t or won’t come in properly. In many cases, wisdom teeth come in horizontally instead of upright like most of your teeth. They also end up below the gum line, and they can cause a tremendous amount of pain.
-They can damage and destroy other teeth in your mouth when they are coming in. It is not uncommon for a 3rd molar to destroy the root of your 2nd molars as they are trying to come in.
-Your jaw is not big enough. Many people’s jaws are not big enough to accommodate all 32 adult teeth. It is believed that our jaws have changed over time because of a change in our diets.
-Third molars make it harder to maintain good oral health. Due to the difficulty in reaching back that far into the mouth, you might be more susceptible to gum disease and cavities.
-Wisdom teeth can ruin your smile. They can push and rearrange your teeth in your mouth causing problems with your bite and even undoing years of costly and painful orthodontic treatment – requiring you to get it all over again.
-Cysts can form around your wisdom teeth. Left untreated, these cysts can destroy your jawbone, roots, and nerves.
-Wisdom teeth can cause sinus pain as the upper wisdom teeth push against your sinuses. This can lead to pain, headaches, congestion, and pressure.
-Pockets between the gums and teeth can form where bacteria will grow. This can cause cavities and gum disease – a leading cause of unintentional tooth loss for adults.
Ignoring the advice of a dentist to get your wisdom teeth removed is almost certain to result in problems in the future. The easiest and most trouble free method for dealing with wisdom teeth is to simply have them removed.
Approximately 10 million wisdom teeth are removed each year in the United States. Removal of wisdom teeth is something that dentists have done a great job of educating the general public on, but there are exceptions.
There isn’t a specific age to get your wisdom teeth removed as every person is different. Parents should get their kids checked out by a dentist who can look at x-rays to see if they have wisdom teeth. The younger you can get a dentist to take a look, the better, though many kids get their wisdom teeth removed at the age of 16, as a general rule.
Not only is it best to get wisdom teeth removed early to prevent issues with them coming in and creating issues, but as we age our bones become more brittle. This can further complicate the extraction process.
The dentist will be able to use x-rays to determine the following:
Do you have wisdom teeth? How many wisdom teeth do you have? People can have anywhere from 0-4, or even more! Wisdom teeth are the most commonly missing teeth in adults.
If you have them, do they need to be removed? They do not always need to be removed.
Which ones need to be removed? Some may need to be removed, while others won’t need to be.
When you should have your wisdom teeth removed or come back for another assessment after a period of time.
Most people will get all of their wisdom teeth removed in one surgery.
If you think you may need wisdom teeth removed, or if you are looking for a dentist in McCordsville, IN, check out The Dentists At Gateway Crossing.
Getting your wisdom teeth removed is a big issue, though thankfully it is something that can be planned for, and once it is taken care of, you won’t need to ever worry about it again.