These molars are more commonly called wisdom teeth. Teeth are categorized by their placement and function. The sharper teeth can tear food into smaller pieces and the flatter teeth grind food down. Wisdom teeth are the flatter kind of teeth, called molars. Molars are all the way in the back of your mouth. Adults get three sets of molars on top and bottom, and on both sides of the mouth. From infancy through early adolescence, humans develop their first set of teeth, lose them, and get a whole new set again.
All of the teeth a person will ever have are present at birth, higher up in the skull structure. First, a set of 20 baby teeth erupts and falls out. Then 32 permanent teeth grow in. The first set of molars usually becomes visible at age 6, the second set around 12, and the final set wisdom teeth sometime before age Once essential for an early human diet of roots, leaves, meat, and nuts, wisdom teeth are no longer totally necessary.
Today, humans cook food to soften it, and we can cut and crush it with utensils. Anthropologists believe humans have evolved beyond needing wisdom teeth, so some people may never get any. Wisdom teeth may go the way of the appendix and become completely unnecessary.
Skip to main content. Mouth and teeth. Home Mouth and teeth. Wisdom teeth. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Problems with wisdom teeth Symptoms of wisdom teeth infection Treatment for wisdom teeth infection Removal of wisdom teeth Care after surgery for removal of wisdom teeth Where to get help.
Problems with wisdom teeth Some wisdom teeth erupt emerge through the gum without causing any problems, but sometimes, wisdom teeth come through at an angle and push into the gum or the tooth beside them. Your oral health professional may recommend that your wisdom teeth be removed if: there is not enough room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth to come through properly — removing a tooth early may help prevent a future problem you are experiencing: pain infection damage to other teeth.
Symptoms of wisdom teeth infection Signs of gum infection caused by wisdom teeth include: red, inflamed gum near the wisdom tooth swelling pain pus coming from the gum swollen and sore lymph nodes underneath the jaw difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing fever bad breath.
Treatment for wisdom teeth infection Infections caused by wisdom teeth can be treated: by improving oral hygiene in the area by having the area cleaned by a dentist sometimes, by the prescription of antibiotics.
Removal of wisdom teeth X-rays will help to tell if wisdom teeth might cause problems. Care after surgery for removal of wisdom teeth Your oral health professional will talk with you about how to care for your mouth after having a wisdom tooth taken out. Some general suggestions include: Take pain-relieving medication if needed and on advice from your oral health professional.
Hold warm salty water in your mouth. National Library of Medicine. Many dentists recommend extraction before the wisdom teeth have fully erupted. Are you still waiting on your last four teeth to arrive? Here are 5 signs that your wisdom teeth are coming in. Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that grow in on both sides of the mouth, top and bottom. Quarnstrom states there is also some evidence modern jaws are smaller than those of prehistoric humans. Problems with wisdom teeth primarily include pain and discomfort, infections, gum disease and tooth decay.
Some of these are due to the difficulty brushing so far back in the mouth. Other serious effects of impacted wisdom teeth occur when cysts form below the teeth. These cysts can cause loss of bone in the jaw, and put pressure on the jaw's nerves. Problems with wisdom teeth usually end with their removal. Dentists often prefer to remove wisdom teeth when patients are in their late teens or early 20s, before they cause problems. At this age, wisdom teeth's roots have not solidified in the jaw bone, and are easier to remove than in older patients.
Removing wisdom teeth later in life also carries a slightly higher risk of damage to a major nerve in the jaw, called the inferior alveolar nerve. Younger patients often recover from sedation faster, as well.
Adolescents wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances, according to Busaidy, often have their wisdom teeth removed at the end of their treatment. This is because emerging wisdom teeth can alter tooth alignment after they have been straightened. So, what is a wisdom tooth? It has nothing to do with growing wiser — only growing older. If your wisdom teeth give you pain or discomfort, see your dentist.
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