Wisdom
teeth normally erupt between the ages of 18 to 24 years of age.
It
is common for wisdom teeth to be impacted, meaning there is no
space for them to erupt.
The
reasons for not having this space are:
1.
Our
soft diets do not cause wear on our other teeth that would have
allowed room for the wisdom teeth to fit in.
2.
The
lower jaw has not grown enough to accommodate the wisdom teeth
3.
You
may have inherited large teeth and/or a small jaw.
Wisdom
teeth need to be removed if any of the following problems below
are occurring: (an X-ray is required before the wisdom
teeth are removed)
Infection
When an impacted wisdom tooth starts to push through the
gums, an infection can start around the top of the tooth.
Infection and inflammation (swollen red gums) can cause
pain, swelling and jaw stiffness |
Crowding
A wisdom tooth may push nearby teeth out of their correct
position and may help to cause crowding of front teeth.
|
Cysts
Sacks of fluid called cysts can form around the tooth. The
cysts can destroy bone, weaken the jaw and cause damage
to other teeth and gums |
Damage to nearby molars
An impacted wisdom tooth may keep pushing against the molars
next to it. This often leads to serious damage to both teeth.
|
A
commonly asked question is 'Why do I need four wisdom teeth out?'
The
impacted tooth causing problems needs to be removed and often
so does its opposing tooth. This is because teeth keep moving
until they hit something. So if only one tooth is extracted then
the opposing tooth will keep moving either up or down until it
hits the gum of the extracted tooth, causing problems.
Also
as the wisdom tooth moves, gaps form. This allows more food and
bacteria to accumulate around the wisdom tooth. This will then
lead to decay and gum disease around the wisdom tooth and the
molar tooth next to it. So having the two opposing teeth out at
the same time prevents more problems from occurring and healing
time only happens once instead of twice.
The
difficulty of the removal procedure determines whether the wisdom
teeth can be removed at the surgery or in a hospital. Your dentist
can discuss your options with you. It is also important to know
the complications associated with the procedure. This varies from
person to person and will be explained to you.
|
