The third molar, or the wisdom tooth, is the one we get when we are at the age of gaining wisdom. But unfortunately for many, the coming of this wisdom can spell trouble. Before we go ahead, let you get to know more about wisdom teeth.

 

What are wisdom teeth?

The wisdom teeth are technically your 3rd molar. They are located at the back of the upper and lower jaws and are the last teeth to emerge. These teeth usually erupt between ages 17 and 25. However, for some people, wisdom teeth have erupted even in the 40s or 50s.

 

Wisdom through Evolution

There was a need for wisdom teeth as they helped in chewing the raw and uncooked food that humans used to consume in the earlier days. We had jaws that were big and strong and had enough space to accommodate all the teeth. But as humans evolved and started eating cooked meals, our jaws need for wisdom teeth reduced, and also, our jaws were no longer big enough to accommodate them, resulting in impacted or no eruption of wisdom teeth.

 

The wisdom tooth is called impacted when it doesn’t have enough space to erupt straight and is stuck under the gum. Wisdom teeth are also known as impacted if the tooth comes in at the wrong angle and bumps into the tooth in front of it.

 

The troubles of Impacted Wisdom

The impacted wisdom tooth might not cause trouble for all, but for some, it can cause

• Swollen gums
• Pain in chewing
• Pain in opening the jaw
• Increased risk of cyst formation
• Increase risk of caries etc.
• Crowding of teeth

 

The solution to your wisdom tooth problem

The most used treatment approach for wisdom tooth problems is removal or extraction. Usually, your dentist will take an X-ray to know more about the impacted or misaligned teeth to get a clear idea of the cause of the problem.

But this does not mean that everyone will have to get their wisdom tooth extracted. The signs and symptoms that indicate extraction of impacted wisdom tooth are

• Pain in the area surrounding the wisdom teeth
• Infection in the bone or gums surrounding the tooth
• Cysts and tumors which develop due to impacted teeth
• Caries which may occur to partially erupted third molar teeth or adjacent teeth
• Periodontal problems like pockets, gum inflammation, and infection

We advise you to visit your dentist whenever you are experiencing pain or discomfort while your wisdom tooth is erupting. If you are in Pune are worried about your wisdom tooth problem, visit our expert dentist at Om Happy Teeth.