After birth all the milk teeth have developed and are waiting under the gum to come through at about six months. The wisdom teeth, however, only develop at around the age of seven. By the time you reach puberty they are visible on an X-ray and keep growing until they break through the gum between 17 and 21. Although technically they are the third molars, they are also called wisdom teeth because they develop later in life, when you are more mature and have grown wiser.
Why do we have wisdom teeth?
Thousands of years ago our eating habits were quite different. It is thought that wisdom teeth developed because our diet before the agricultural age needed a little extra chewing power to be digested properly. They also arrived at a point when the other teeth were already showing the first signs of wear, and the third molars would have carried you until your death at the ripe age of about 30. After we began growing our own plants and raising our own animals, our food became softer and easier to chew. Over time our jaws have grown smaller, leaving less room for wisdom teeth. It used to be common to remove the third molars as a preventive measure, but today many dentists choose to wait and see whether they cause problems before removing them.
Remove or keep?
When your wisdom teeth begin to push through the gum, you may feel pressure or discomfort. At every check-up your dentist looks for signs that the teeth are developing properly and occasionally takes X-rays to make sure they are in the right position. If they are not, they may need to be removed. Here are a few reasons why your third molars might have to come out:
- They are impacted. An impacted tooth is one prevented from emerging fully from the gum. It may lie on its side or be too close to another tooth to erupt completely. An impacted tooth can damage its neighbours and their roots, leading to bone loss.
- Decay. Wisdom teeth sit right at the back of the mouth and can be difficult to clean well, especially when only partly erupted. Food can become trapped and give bacteria a place to grow and form decay.
- Infection. When a tooth has only partly emerged from the gum, bacteria can be trapped and seep into the surrounding gum pocket. This can cause an infection which, untreated, can lead to bone loss, periodontitis, pain, swelling and a stiff jaw.
Wisdom teeth are usually removed under local anaesthetic with light sedation or under general anaesthetic. The procedure itself is relatively straightforward and generally does not take long. Afterwards you receive instructions for the period after surgery. Sometimes an antibiotic or a painkiller is prescribed. A lighter diet is recommended for a few days, and you should avoid citrus or spicy food and alcohol, since these can delay healing. Drinking through a straw, smoking or rinsing vigorously with water or mouthwash is also discouraged, since the suction created can prevent a clot forming or pull a clot out of the socket, leading to what is called a dry socket. A dry socket can affect up to 25% of people after a wisdom tooth extraction. We do not know exactly why it occurs, but it can cause extreme pain. In such a case, call the practice immediately.
As we evolve as a species, it is not unusual for some people to have only one or two wisdom teeth and, in rarer cases, none at all. If you still have wisdom teeth, you can be sure that we will carry on monitoring their growth and position. If you have questions about wisdom teeth or their development, call us. We are glad to answer them.
