WISDOM TOOTH: HOW WISE IT IS

A wisdom tooth or third molar is one of the three molars per quadrant of the human dentition. It is the most posterior (most distal) of the three. Wisdom teeth generally appear between the ages of 17 and 25. These are known as wisdom teeth because they appear so late- much later than the other teeth, at an age where people are presumably "wiser" than as a child, when the other teeth erupt.

Wisdom teeth are vestigial teeth that used to help human ancestors in grinding down plant tissue. The common postulation is that the skulls of human ancestors had larger jaws with more teeth, which were possibly used to help chew down foliage to compensate for a lack of ability to efficiently digest the cellulose that makes up a plant cell wall. As human diets changed, smaller jaws gradually evolved, yet the third molars, or "wisdom teeth", still commonly develop in human mouths.

Wisdom teeth have long been identified as a source of problems and continue to be the most commonly impacted teeth in the human mouth. Many times, wisdom teeth don't have room to grow properly and can cause problems. Erupting wisdom teeth can grow at various angles in the jaw, sometimes even horizontally. Sometimes wisdom teeth only partially emerge through the gums. Other times, they remain completely hidden. Wisdom teeth that aren't able to emerge normally become impacted, or trapped, within your jaw.

If the wisdom teeth emerge partially through the gums, a passageway is created, which can cause problems. And because this area is hard to see and clean, it can become a magnet for bacteria that cause gum disease and oral infection. They often need to be extracted when this occurs. A lack of room to allow the teeth to erupt, results in a risk of gum disease and caries that increases with age.

Some dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth if they don't fully emerge or if they grow near the nerve of the lower jaw. Many dentists believe it's better to remove wisdom teeth before the roots are fully formed, when someone is younger and more likely to recover faster from surgery. This is why some young adults have their wisdom teeth pulled before the teeth cause problems and become more firmly rooted in the jaw.

According to the author, wisdom teeth removal may be necessary if you experience changes in the area of those teeth, such as pain, repeated infection of soft tissue behind the lower last tooth, cysts (fluid-filled sacs), tumors, damage to nearby teeth, gum disease or extensive tooth decay.

The decision to remove wisdom teeth is not always clear. Talk to your dentist or an oral surgeon about the position and health of your wisdom teeth and what's best for your situation.