All about wisdom teeth!

Written By Ryoma Ohira

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be an asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal.

How Do I Know if I Have Wisdom Teeth?

Ask your dentist about the positioning of your wisdom teeth. Your dentist may refer you to get an OPG X-ray to evaluate for the presence and alignment of your wisdom teeth. Your dentist may also decide to send you to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.

Your dentist or oral surgeon may recommend that your wisdom teeth be extracted even before problems develop. The extraction is recommended to avoid a more painful or more complicated extraction that might have to be done a few years later. Removal is more straight forward in young people when the wisdom teeth roots are not yet fully developed, and the bone is less dense. In older people, recovery and healing time tend to be longer.

Why Take Them Out?

Some wisdom teeth do not come through fully (partly erupt) and get stuck (or impacted), This often leaves a flap of gum over your tooth which can cause bacteria to build up leading to infections. Other wisdom teeth grow too long (over erupt) which can cause issues with the bite.

A wisdom tooth may need to be removed for several reasons such as:

  • tooth decay

  • repeated or severe infections

  • to make space to move other teeth

  • to prevent damage to the soft tissues and neighboring teeth.

Symptoms of wisdom teeth infection

Signs of gum infection caused by a wisdom tooth include:

  • red, inflamed gum near the wisdom tooth

  • swelling

  • pain

  • pus coming from the gum

  • swollen and sore lymph nodes underneath the jaw

  • difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing

  • fever

  • bad breath.

Ryoma Ohira
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