Wisdom teeth removal is sometimes considered a rite of passage and is a necessity for most people in order to maintain good oral hygiene and health. Here are some things to think about.
Wisdom teeth removal often occurs as a rite of passage into adulthood. These four teeth often appear between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five years of age which is known in some circles as the “age of wisdom.” These choppers are the final ones to arrive in a human’s mouth and are also referred to as the third set of molars. Eons ago,
humans needed this final set but today they are often a source of pain and difficulties. Here are some things to think about:
- Mouths of yesteryear: Many years ago, human mouths needed those last four molars. Extra grinders were required in order to chew up, grind and process their tough foods in order to be able to digest it. This is not true today. Over time, earthlings’ diets have become softer and more digestible without the pulverizing action of the wisdom teeth. Instead of killing an animal and grilling it over fire or eating nuts and berries growing nearby, modern chefs take great pains to chop, sauté, boil and prepare foods which don’t require much jaw work.
- Overcrowding: Nowadays, when these good size pearly whites push through, they cause the other existing ones to shift in alignment. A smile that was pleasingly straight because of the orthodontist or good genes may now become crooked. Yanking them before overcrowding occurs is a good idea.
- The impacted tooth: When there’s not enough room for a wisdom tooth to even erupt, it can become impacted beneath the gum. This can become quite painful, swollen and even infected. Sometimes the pain and swelling will come and go but the individual better get ready, because it’ll be back.
Periodontal disease: Periodontal disease affects the gums when decay has developed between teeth. Because this last group is so far back in the mouth, it’s harder to keep them free of plaque and debris.
- Roots become longer: Even if this final set of molars doesn’t seem to cause problems initially, chances are it will. The older the individual, the stronger and deeper the roots are and the more difficult it will be to remove them.
- Who removes them: The average dentist will not be the oral health care practitioner to remove wisdom teeth. When these problematic choppers surface either beneath or above the gum, the family DDS will likely refer a patient to a specialist called an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The patient will be anesthetized with a general or local anesthetic with a sedative. There will be some post-op swelling, pain initially but it should subside relatively quickly depending on the extent of the procedure. The more complications such as infection or long roots, the longer the recovery time will be.
Training of a maxillofacial surgeon: This specialist must complete four years of graduate level training as a dentist and then go for an additional four years as a resident in a hospital oral surgery program.
Wisdom teeth removal is usually covered by dental insurance. It is often considered to be a rite of passage that many young adults are glad to be finished with.
