Wisdom teeth are the late bloomers of the mouth. They make their appearance years after your adult teeth have filled your gums, frequently bringing with them some pain and problems. However, wisdom teeth are nothing to be worried about. Read everything you need to know about wisdom teeth below:
What are they?
Wisdom teeth are the final large set of molar teeth found in the gums at the back of the mouth, behind your existing molars. These teeth come with the title ‘wisdom’, not because they provide you with intelligence, but for the age at which they appear which is usually between 17-21. As wisdom’s grow out, they shift in your gums. Sometimes these teeth will grow out straight, but more often than not there are complications with their growth.
Problems
Not uncommonly, wisdom teeth can give their inhabitant a bit of trouble. While growing out, these teeth may cause discomfort, pushing on nerves, bones and other teeth. As they push on these parts within your mouth, they could cause pain such as headaches, tooth ache and more. Another problem with wisdom teeth is that they often cause overcrowding in the mouth, shifting the existing teeth and causing more pain as they push the teeth together. This could occur when the teeth are pushing through the gum, or it could happen due to impaction. Impaction is when your teeth have shifted inwards and their growth is interrupted by another tooth, not allowing them to break through your gums. This is a major issue that could cause extreme pain and even cysts. They should be removed.
Removal
The removal process used for wisdom teeth is surgical removal. The patient is out under general anaesthetic and a doctor – though the procedure is sometime performed by a dentist – will cut through the gum and bone in order to remove the wisdom tooth and its roots before stitching it up. The recovery time after the procedure varies depending on the person but it will normally take a few weeks.