Congratulations to all who are graduating high school this month! It's a wonderful time to make plans for your mind and for your mouth!With age comes wisdom...intellectual as well as "wisdom teeth." Between the ages of 17 and 21, third molars emerge. Third molars are commonly referred to wisdom teeth. Historically, these teeth have been called wisdom teeth because they come through at a more mature, or “wise” age.
As your wisdom teeth make their way through your jaw and gums, you need to monitor your mouth for signs of the following problems:
-----Wisdom teeth that haven’t come in properly. Many times, wisdom teeth come in crooked, turned, or even horizontal. This can cause the existing teeth to crowd together. It can also make it difficult to floss between the wisdom teeth and the molars next to them. Food can become trapped and cavities can form in these areas. Sometimes, wisdom teeth can damage the roots of neighboring teeth.
-----Wisdom teeth that have only partially come through the gums. These open areas can give bacteria a place to enter under the gums and create a place for infection to occur. The infection can lead to pain, swelling and stiffness in your jaw.
-----A wisdom tooth that is impacted. Impacted teeth can form a cyst on or near the impacted tooth. This could damage the roots of nearby teeth or destroy the bone that supports your teeth. The cyst usually causes pain, sometimes significant pain, in the jaw or the joint of the jaw.
Every patient is unique, but in general, wisdom teeth may need to be removed when there is evidence of changes in the mouth such as pain, infection, cysts, tumors, damage to neighboring teeth, crowding of existing teeth, gum disease, or tooth decay.
Wisdom teeth that are not removed should continue to be monitored due to the potential for developing problems can occur. Be sure to brush and floss around your wisdom teeth and visit us at least twice a year for check-ups and cleanings!