Throughout your life, the formation of your teeth will undergo many changes. Everyone is expected to go through a process of acquiring specific sets of teeth known as “baby” teeth, losing them, and then growing another which they will have for life from infancy to puberty.
An adult’s tooth set should typically include eight premolars and 12 molars (three sets of molars). However, by the age of 17, just two sets of molars are usually present. The final group would then fully develop between 17 and 21. This final pair of molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth.
Why Do We Have Wisdom Tooth
Wisdom teeth are molars that come in third and final in comparison to the others. Most people obtain it in their late teens or early twenties. These molars are often known as wisdom teeth because they appear last when you’re “older and wiser.”
They are often the hardest and largest teeth used to crush food. Wisdom teeth can be a significant asset to the mouth when healthy and correctly positioned. However, they are frequently misplaced and must be removed.
Problems With Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are more likely than other teeth to cause problems for most adults. According to one study, around 10 million teeth are lost or pulled in the United States each year owing to impaction. This is because the human brain is thought to become more prominent over time, causing the jaw to shrink to the point where the wisdom teeth cannot properly emerge from the gum.
Because of the inconvenient growth of wisdom teeth, it is highly prone to problems such as infection. Their location in the far rear of the mouth might make flossing adjacent to them challenging, resulting in more tough-to-reach nooks and crannies. This may allow germs to flourish or soft tissue to form over a partially impacted wisdom tooth, resulting in pericoronitis.
Other issues related to wisdom teeth include lesions (abnormal-looking tissue), tooth damage, and bone loss around the roots.
Should Everyone Have Their Wisdom Teeth Extracted?
Although wisdom tooth extraction is quickly becoming a rite of passage for Americans, particularly teenagers, everyone doesn’t need to have it removed.
Wisdom teeth should only be extracted if they are diseased, impacted, partially impacted, or will cause tooth crowding. Thus, if your wisdom tooth has problems, you should consider having it extracted as soon as it emerges to avoid future pain.
Conclusion
If your wisdom teeth are not extracted properly, they might cause pain or damage your lower teeth. That is why this procedure should be performed by professionals such as the experts here at Newton Dental Associates. We are thorough and precise in ensuring that your wisdom teeth are removed with little or no discomfort. Please visit our website or call (617) 965-0060 to speak with one of our specialists.
