Problems with wisdom teeth

The third molar, better known as the wisdom tooth, is the eighth and the last tooth growing in the jaw. It usually erupts in the third decade of life, when people become “clever” and “wise”. It is an evolutionary remnant, as humans once needed it for grinding and crumbling solid food. Today, wisdom teeth have mainly lost their purpose due to the manner and form of consuming food. Considered that they may cause numerous problems in the mouth, you may have to extract them one day.

Given their location, wisdom teeth are more difficult to clean and brush. They often push the adjacent teeth and crowd the existing ones. In such cases, it is recommendable to extract them as soon as possible in order to prevent potential problems. When and how your wisdom teeth are to be extracted depends on the problems they cause you.

If a cyst forms around a wisdom tooth, it may endanger the adjacent teeth as well. In that case extraction is more complicated because a cyst is virtually a whole in the bone and in that place the bone is much thinner. If the intervention is heavy-handed the jaw may break. It is similar with the wisdom teeth which have no room to erupt, usually resulting in an infection developing around them. In the case of repeated infections, the bone may be destructed. A “dislocated” wisdom tooth may grow sideways, under the gingiva, exerting pressure on the roots of the adjacent teeth, thus causing great pain. Nevertheless, if it grows far from the dental alignment, it may be dormant, in which case it should only be checked up regularly.

Another situation in which wisdom teeth are extracted is when they crowd the existing teeth while erupting. It is particularly inconvenient when all the teeth are in a perfect orthodontic alignment, and then wisdom teeth come through and spoil everything.  Your dentist will see from your orthopan (dental x-ray) what is happening exactly.

If you decide to extract your wisdom teeth after all, it should be done as soon as possible, preferably in your twenties, before their dental roots and the jaw fully develop. In your thirties your jaw will become firmer and the recovery will take more time.

After extraction, you will be given post-operative instructions. A gauze dressing will be placed on your wound, and it will remain there for an hour in order to prevent bleeding and stimulate coagulation. Upon extraction, the wound must not be rinsed for 24 hours, and it should not be touched for several days. Any kind of sucking is also forbidden, such as drinking through a straw or smoking, to avoid disrupting the blood clot. You will be most probably prescribed a painkiller for pain relief. It is also recommended to apply a cold compress to your cheek to reduce swelling. You may also be given antibiotics in order to prevent infection in the place of extraction.

If your wisdom teeth grow normally, without endangering the adjacent teeth, your dentist will assess if their extraction is necessary. If well cleaned, they may last for years.

Nevertheless, there are dentists who will invariably recommend extraction. Orthodontics disagree with this opinion and the extraction of healthy teeth, as wisdom teeth may serve as support for bridges and dentures sometime in the future.