What are Wisdom Teeth and Why Do We Get Them?

Between the ages of seven and ten, four new teeth begin to form in the back of the mouths of children. One begins to develop behind each of the molars on both the top and the bottom.  They will not come through the gums and become known to the young person for several more years.  Between the ages of 17 and 25 is usually when some tenderness is felt behind the back molars as the new molars start to emerge through the gums.

No one knows for sure why people get them as they seem to have no purpose, and they don’t fit in the human mouth.  The only known idea is that these four molars were a kind of reserve from thousands of years ago when human jaws were bigger. This was before people had created eating and cutting utensils. In those days people gnawed and chewed their food from leaves, roots, and chunks of meat. All this chewing wore their teeth down, and these new ones would have replenished their chewing ability.

These new teeth are called wisdom teeth and are the last or third molars.

What are the Symptoms and Problems of Emerging Wisdom Teeth?

In most cases, there isn’t enough space in the mouth for them.  As they try to emerge, they may become impacted. This means they are blocked by the molars already there and are stuck under your gums or in the jaw.  A wisdom tooth becomes impacted when it remains completely in the jawbone, or when only a part of the tooth emerges from the jawbone, or after the tooth has pushed through the jawbone but not yet completely through the gums.

Food can get trapped in the gums around the emerging tooth, which possibly causes a dental infection.  The new tooth may grow out of alignment and begin to crowd and force the displacement of an existing back molar.  If a wisdom tooth does not emerge through the mouth tissues, sometimes a cyst forms around the wisdom tooth which can damage the bone, the surrounding teeth and expand the jawbone.

According to the American Dental Association, here’s when you should speak with your favorite Brooklyn dentist:

Every patient is unique, but in general, wisdom teeth may need to be removed when there is evidence of changes in the mouth such as:

• Pain

• Infection

• Cysts

• Tumors

• Damage to neighboring teeth

• Gum disease

• Tooth decay (if it is not possible or desirable to restore the tooth)

What Are the Dental Treatments for Complications of Wisdom Teeth?

As they begin to emerge, your Oceanview Dental Care dentist needs to monitor them closely. The dentist watches for misalignment allowing trapped food particles and bacteria to grow. Your dentist will observe the spacing and determine if the new molars are growing straight or applying force to nearby molars. Is there enough space for you to floss? Is there any pain, swelling or jaw stiffness that requires treatment? The dentist will watch for any symptoms of complications requiring extraction. For instance, the growth of a cyst can cause damage to your permanent molars, including their roots, and even cause bone destruction.

Damage to neighboring permanent teeth, pain, decay, infection, cysts, gum disease or a tumor causes the necessity of dental surgery to remove the wisdom tooth.

Some local Brooklyn residents never see problems from these third molars.  In those rare cases, they can help that person’s chewing. About 85 percent of people do have problems that will require extraction of them.  It is best to get removal of a wisdom tooth when you are young because younger people have a lower risk of surgery complications and shorter healing periods.  Removal is easier before the roots have fully formed.

If you are the rare person who does not experience difficulty with wisdom teeth, remember your Oceanview Dental Care dentist needs to monitor them regularly as there is a risk of problems later, possibly even other health problems.

Think you may have issues with your wisdom teeth or molars? Maybe it’s time to speak with your favorite Brooklyn dentist: Oceanview Dental Care! Contact our team today to schedule your appointment at our convenient Brooklyn office.