Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are four teeth at the back top and bottom corners of your mouth. They are called wisdom teeth because usually, they appear at a later age, between 17 and 25. Some people never get wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth extraction is a surgical procedure where one or wisdom teeth are removed. Not everyone needs wisdom teeth removal: some people develop wisdom teeth just like their other molars, and they cause no problems. On the other hand, there are several reasons why you might need to have them removed, the most common one being is not having enough room for them to grow, which may result in pain, infection, or other dental problems. An impacted wisdom tooth may grow at an angle or stay trapped within the jawbone. If it causes any issues such as pain, infection, gum disease, tooth decay, damage to the nearby tooth, you will likely need to have it removed.
Specialists disagree whether a wisdom tooth that isn’t causing any problems (asymptomatic) should be removed. It is hard to predict if there will be any future difficulties with wisdom teeth, but one should know that even asymptomatic wisdom teeth could still harbour bacteria. If there is no space for the tooth to erupt, it is hard to clean it properly, and the dental visits should be made more often for both to get professional cleaning and to make sure that cavities have not been formed.
Visit Your Dental Office located in Toronto for a consultation if your wisdom tooth started erupting. Sometimes, it is necessary to do an x-ray to see whether the wisdom tooth is impacted or not. Contact us at Your Dental clinic and our team of specialists will guide you through the process, answer any questions you might have about the procedure, and make sure you feel at ease at all times in our clinic.