Wisdom Teeth are the final ones to launch an attack on your gums. When they decide to emerge on the scene, these teeth will choose their own way of doing so.  They are also known as the Third Molars and emerge anywhere from age 16 to 25.

They are called Wisdom teeth because they were believed to come in when the person had matured and developed wisdom.  We know the teeth are not wise as they will come in even when your jaw is not large enough for them. When they do this, they sometimes become impacted which means the Wisdom Teeth can remain under the gum or emerge sideways, backwards or forwards into the roots of the last molar.

Wisdom Teeth when coming in
Can cause your mouth not want to grin
They push and grind the other teeth
And make your mouth not want to eat.

X-rays can tell the dentist if the Wisdom Teeth will be a problem.  If they will be, then surgery should be done at the youngest age possible as the bone is not yet as dense as in an older person, the roots are not fully developed and, of course, young people heal faster.  These teeth can push other molars out of line which will lead to orthodontic treatment later on.

An impacted wisdom tooth can cause infection that can be very harmful.  They can cause headaches, earaches, pain in the jaw or neck or throat and pain around other teeth.  They can also cause a cyst which is a sac that fills with fluid and can destroy the bone around other molars and, in rare cases, may cause a tumor which will require very extensive surgery.

Swelling from infected wisdom teeth can cause you to avoid socializing with other people and staying confined within your home.  The swelling can also affect your speech making it very difficult to even communicate by phone.

Wisdom teeth should be removed before they have a chance to mature and cause trouble.  Surgery does have the risk of bruising, some pain and some swelling afterwards and perhaps some numbness in the tongue.  Ice packs will help greatly with this and the pain will end much, much sooner than leaving them in and letting them cause havoc in your mouth.

Sometimes Wisdom Teeth can be extracted right in the dentist’s office with the use of local anesthesia, new short acting drugs and tranquilizers.  It puts the patient in a state of sleep or sedation in comfort and safety.  Being in the familiar environment of the dentist’s office will also bring relaxation.

Wisdom Teeth can also be extracted in a hospital.  This may be preferable for some and make the procedure much better for them.

Recovery rates for the removal of wisdom teeth varies from patient to patient.  It depends on how deeply impacted the teeth were, the patients age, medical health and any other risk factors they may have.

Good hygiene is absolutely necessary after the extraction of wisdom teeth.  Avoiding tobacco products promotes healing and following post-surgical instructions will shorten the recovery period. The recovery period depends not only on the patient but on several other factors.

Following surgery for the extraction of wisdom teeth, a patient should practice good oral hygiene, avoid all hot or cold fluids (unless instructed to do so), foods with seeds and kernels, and also avoid foods that are hard and crunchy during the first few weeks.

Infection after the removal of wisdom teeth sometimes occurs.  This can be treated with antibiotic therapy.  Most dental plans will cover this cost and also the cost of the removal of them.

General Dentistry