Wisdom on wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth is the traditional name of the third molars which appears between the age of 17- 25. As a moderate amount of wisdom is supposedly achieved; during that period the mythical name must have been coined. Most adults have four wisdom teeth; however it is possible to have more or fewer to nothing at all.
For quite some time, there has been a popular belief that wisdom teeth “push” the teeth in front of them as they come into the mouth, causing the front teeth to crowd. Wisdom teeth that are leaning too far forward and unerupted can, however, create enough force on the roots of the second molars to cause root resorption but not crowding of anterior dentition.
Most often there is a discrepancy, between jaw and tooth size with too little space available to suit the wisdom teeth. So most of the times the wisdom teeth come out in wrong angle affecting other important structures which include adjacent teeth, gums, nerves, blood vessels and other structures. They can develop cavities or gum disease as it would be difficult to reach the wisdom teeth with tooth brush or dental flosses
According to American Dental Association the following conditions and symptoms associated with the wisdom teeth could warrant its removal; including: repeated infection of soft tissue behind lower last tooth, damage nearby teeth, gum disease, extensive tooth decay and orthodontic reasons.
Wisdom teeth that only partially erupted allow an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness and general illness. However, depends on the number of wisdom teeth to be extracted and the type of anesthesia whether local or general, the surgery takes up to 45 minutes and it requires panoramic x-ray or CT scan in some individual cases.
The decision to remove wisdom teeth is not always clear and it is always better to consult an Oral and maxillofacial surgeon about the position and health of wisdom teeth and what’s best for your situation. Keep in mind, though, that the older you get the more difficult and risky a procedure it is to get them out, as we get older the body is slower at healing and repairing itself.

Dr. Kamal K. Ravikumar, MDS, MFD, MOMSRCPS
Specialist, Maxillofacial
International Medical Center, Jeddah