Wisdom Teeth

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are your third set of molars. They are the last teeth to come in and are located at the far rear of your mouth. Wisdom teeth usually come in when a person is between the ages of 16 and 25 years old.

Wisdom teeth are not necessary for good oral health. If your wisdom teeth are impacted or causing you pain, your dentist will probably recommend removing them.

Some people's wisdom teeth will never grow in.

Why are Wisdom Teeth Impacted?

Sometimes your wisdom teeth may grow at a slant or be 'impacted'. When wisdom teeth are impacted, they are trapped in the jawbone and gums. Wisdom teeth become impacted because there is not enough room for them in your mouth.

Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Some of the most common symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth are:

• pain when biting
• pain when opening the mouth
• swelling in the gum
• bad breath
• jaw stiffness
• an unpleasant taste in the mouth

Removing Impacted Wisdom Teeth

In most cases, your dentist will recommend to have the impacted wisdom teeth removed. If impacted wisdom teeth are not removed they can crowd other teeth out of position, damage nearby teeth, become infected (pericoronitis), develop tumors, develop cysts, and decay.

Your wisdom teeth may be removed by your general dentist or by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. You can request to be put to sleep during the procedure.

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