Do you feel a sudden pain in your teeth even if you have good oral hygiene? Chances are your wisdom teeth are growing and you need wisdom teeth removal.
This article discusses the importance of wisdom teeth, wisdom teeth removal, and more. Keep reading to know more.
Inside the Mouth
Our mouth consists of teeth that help us to chew, grind and tear the food we eat. These are some of the strongest parts of our body.
The teeth in our mouth are made of calcium and collagen. In addition to helping us chew our food, they help us to speak clearly.
We all as adults have 32 teeth called Permanent teeth or secondary teeth.
These are:
- 8 incisors
- 4 canines also known as cuspids
- 8 premolars called bicuspids
- 12 molars including 4 wisdom teeth
Children have 20 temporary, primary, or milk teeth. As they grow, these teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
Let’s discuss what the functions of different types of teeth are.
Incisors
Your 8 incisions are located in the front part of your mouth. 4 of them in your upper while 4 of them in the lower jaw.
The shape of incisors is like chisels, which have sharp edges that help us bite the food. Incisors are usually the first teeth to erupt appearing in children who are 6 months old.
Temporary teeth are replaced by permanent teeth between the age of 6 and 8.
Canines
These teeth are next to incisors. Two of them are on the upper while 2 are on the lower jaw. Canines have sharp and pointy edges for tearing the food.
Canines erupt in babies when they are between 16 to 20 months old. The upper canines grow first while the lower ones grow later.
Lower canines poke through the age at the age of 9 however, upper canines poke between the age of 11 or 12.
Pre Molars
We have 4 molars in the upper jaw and 4 molars in the lower jaw.
Premolars are bigger as compared to canines and incisors. They have a flat surface with ridges for crushing and grinding the food into smaller pieces to make it easier to pass through the food pipe.
Molars
These are the biggest and strongest teeth. We have 6 molars on the upper jaw while 6 on the lower jaw.
Molars are divided into two types: 6-year-old molars and 12-year-old molars. This type depends on the age of the children. These are wisdom teeth or third molars.
The molars help us to grind the food we eat. When we bite down food, our tongue pushes it to the back of our mouth and molars break up the food into small pieces.
The molars include 4 wisdom teeth and usually, come around between the ages of 17 and 25. Wisdom teeth are also called third molars.
Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth or third molars erupt between the age of 17 and 25. These are also called Third Molars.
We categorize teeth based on their location and function. The sharper teeth tear the food into smaller pieces while the flatter ones grind it.
As the molars appear late in our life or as we grow wiser, that is why they are called Wisdom teeth.
How Do We Get Wisdom Teeth?
As children, we have 20 teeth but when we grow they are replaced by permanent teeth.
The first set of molars often erupt at the age of 6, the second erupts at the age of 12 while the final set sometimes before age 21.
Studies suggest that in early times, the function of molars was to grind food that was hard like roots, leaves, nuts, etc, but today we cook food that makes it soft and easy to grind.
With the evolution of the human body, we may or may not have visible wisdom teeth but that does not necessarily mean that we do not have them.
Sometimes wisdom teeth or third molars do not appear but they are present under the gums.
A dental X-ray can confirm if you have wisdom teeth under your gums.
Whether visible or not, wisdom teeth can cause a problem. Wisdom teeth that do not erupt are called impacted and sometimes they can cause visible problems.
Why Do We Need Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Scientist suggests that with the passing time, the size of our brain has increased while the jaw grew smaller to accommodate space.
Our dental needs and diet have changed over time.
With human evolution, the human jaw can grow smaller to accommodate the bigger size of the brain. this is different as compared to the humans in the early days.
There are 4 wisdom teeth, 2 on the upper jaw and 2 on the lower jaw. People can have none to all 4 of these wisdom teeth.
By the time we reach 18, our jaw stops grown, however, wisdom teeth grow around the age of 19.5.
When a wisdom tooth does not fit into the jaw bone, it can cause complications and risks.
Some problems associated with wisdom teeth are as follows:
- Crooked teeth
- Crowded teeth
- Increased tooth decay
- Jaw pain
- Cysts under the gums
- Wisdom teeth growing sideways
Studies suggest that removing wisdom teeth is necessary in any of the above-mentioned cases.
Your dentist or oral surgeon recommends that as teenagers, you should be evaluated for wisdom teeth removal surgery is the best dental clinic in Dubai.
This eventually helps to avoid potential problems before they start.
Before any orthodontic procedure, your dentist will carry out wisdom teeth removal.
This is a precautionary measure to avoid any complications post-procedure.
Impacted Wisdom Tooth
If the wisdom tooth gets stuck under the gums or does not have enough room to erupt is considered impacted.
Impacted wisdom teeth are more prone to diseases, decay, or other dental problems.
Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Tooth
Studies suggest that impacted wisdom teeth may or may not show any symptoms.
Sometimes, the impacted wisdom tooth might break through the partially visible gums. These are called partially impacted wisdom teeth. They are only partially visible.
It is difficult to remove the trapped food particles from the molars. It can be very painful for some people.
The infected tooth or only partially visible tooth can cause other issues and you may have the following symptoms:
- Pain or swelling around the jaw
- Red, swollen or bleeding gums
- Problem while opening your mouth
A fully impacted wisdom tooth is one that does not erupt from the gums. It is not visible above the gum line.
A Dental X-ray can show the affected tooth below the gum line.
Causes of Impacted Wisdom Tooth
When the molars do not have the space to erupt, they can cause problems in the jaw. Sometimes, these teeth grow at the wrong angle and can cause problems.
Removal of Wisdom Tooth
It depends on whether the wisdom tooth is above the gum line or below the gum line.
YOu dentist can use two types of anesthesia for tooth extraction. Either Local or general anesthesia depends on the type of extraction.
A Wisdom Tooth Extraction is done in two ways:
- Simple Extraction
- Surgical Extraction
Simple Extraction for Wisdom Teeth Removal
Your Arabic female dentist will use the procedure of simple extraction when your wisdom tooth is visible and how far it is out of your gum.
Your gums are numbed in the first step with the help of local anesthesia. Stronger numbing medicine is injected into the treatment area in the next step.
They will loosen the tooth using a tool called the elevator and will pull out the tooth with forceps.
The dentist will clean the treatment area and place a gauze to cover the incision. The gauze is placed to stop the infection from spreading to other nearby teeth.
Aftercare
You may feel swelling in the area of treatment or tooth socket after the procedure is done.
The effect of local anesthesia wears off in a few hours. However, you need to take care of the tooth socket.
Try not to brush and rinse your mouth for 24 hours after the treatment. You can gently gargle with warm salted water every 2 hours for a week.
Surgical Extraction for Wisdom Teeth Removal
If the wisdom tooth is below the gum line, your dentist will recommend you a surgical extraction.
During this procedure, your dentist will give your general anesthesia so that you may not feel the wisdom tooth pain and discomfort. While your dentist or oral surgeon removes the tooth, you might feel some pressure.
Your dentist will cut open the gum, and remove the tooth bone to get to the root of the tooth socket. . This procedure lasts for 20 minutes.
To keep the incision hole small, your dentist will place gauze in your mouth to stop bleeding.
Aftercare of Surgical Wisdom Teeth Removal
Your dentist will recommend, pain killers, to manage the pain after surgery.
Take them very carefully and as instructed by the dentist.
At home, you can use the following remedies:
You can use an ice pack to reduce the swelling.
Moreover, try not to spit too much so that the blood clot does not move from its place.
Also, do not take hot or cold drinks and beverages.
Complications In Case There is No Wisdom Teeth Removal
Certain complications can take place if you do not get your wisdom teeth removal.
These are:
Damage To Other Teeth
When the wisdom tooth does not erupt, it will push against the other molars.
As a result, it damages the second molars and increases the risk of infection in the area.
Gum Disease
When we eat, the tongue pushes the food towards the molars. Molars help to break the food into tiny pieces.
It is difficult to remove the stuck food particles between the impacted wisdom tooth and gums.
It can lead to gum diseases and develop inflammation.
Cysts
A cyst is formed when the impacted wisdom tooth is not removed.
This cyst, when filled with fluid can cause damage to the jaw bone and the surrounding tissue.
Although rare, it can form a tumor that needs to be removed.
Decay
Partially impacted teeth can lead to tooth decay.
Wisdom teeth are tough to clean. At the back of our mouths, food particles can get easily trapped.
You need to clean these food particles regularly otherwise they can cause tooth decay. Take special care near the molars.
Conclusion
Teeth are an important part of our Mouth as they help us to bite, tear and grind the food we eat.
Regular dental appointments are important for cleaning and check-ups as they enable your dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom tooth.
Regularly updated dental X-rays can indicated impacted wisdom teeth before any symptoms develop.
Consult your dentist immediately, if you see any signs of inflammation and swelling at the back of your mouth.
To avoid any further complications, you should get wisdom teeth removal timely.
Your dentist will recommend you a simple or surgical extraction depending on whether the tooth is visible or not.
In either case, follow the instructions carefully to avoid post-treatment complications.
