Does Everyone Have Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are not called so because they make a person more intelligent or add to your wisdom level but they are called so because of the time they appear in the mouth. These teeth appear when a person is at least 17 to 21 year which is usually the time for colleges and youth life. Although some may see their earlier while in others, they appear later.
ARE THEY HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING WISDOM TEETH
There is no health implications or problems if you do not have wisdom teeth. In fact, you should count yourself as being lucky because you will not have to go through the pain and stress of having your wisdom tooth removed. Many people jokingly say that they are not troubled as wisdom teeth do not add to their intelligence level or help them in chewing or speaking. If you feel you may have wisdom teeth, a dental x-ray can clearly show them. Sometimes, you may have wisdom teeth but they may be impacted.
Impacted wisdom teeth are the third molars that do not correctly aligned, their angle is improper and this can affect the other teeth alignment and the jaw as well. Your dentist will check through an x-ray if you have an impacted wisdom teeth, if you do, they will be removed. If leaving them makes it easier and vulnerable to be affected by plagues and bacteria thereby causing decay.
It is easier to remove wisdom teeth when you are younger. You can still get the surgery done anytime but it is easier in a young age because the nerves and roots in the mouth has not completely formed and your bones are softer. Having the surgery in an older age can make it painful and somehow difficult.
WHY DO WE NEED WISDOM TEETH
You must have been taught that a complete teeth should be 32, well it is but if all the 32 teeth are formed, the mouth becomes overcrowded. There is often only room for 28 teeth in the mouth. If the mouth can only contain 28 teeth, why then do we have wisdom teeth?
There is this traditional belief that wisdom teeth as replacement teeth for our distant ancestors . This may not be entirely true as people hardly lose teeth as we now practice good dental habits and eat healthy foods too including the easy access to dentists and orthodontics. The believe of wisdom teeth serving the ancestors may be because of the kind of foods they eat which are very hard and poor dental hygiene coupled with little assistance or help from dentists.
So, if we do not need wisdom teeth for any of the above, why then do we need wisdom teeth? I guess we do not. In fact, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons states that about 85% of third molars eventually need to be removed.
DOES EVERYONE HAVE WISDOM TEETH
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that forms behind the first and second steak of molars in the jaws. They are extra teeth and may not be found in everyone. While some do not have at all, others may have just 1 or 2. A study published in the Dental Research Journal in 2015 has it that about 5% to 37% of the population co-genetically do not have wisdom teeth, this mean that if any of your parents do not have wisdom tooth, it is very likely that you will not have it either.
Health experts are also of the opinion that if the tissue that is needed to form wisdom teeth doe not migrate or move to the rear of the mouth to start the process, you may not have wisdom teeth. PLOS ONE published a study in 2016 that suggested other reasons and factors why you do not have wisdom teeth.
Reasons like:
- Diet
- How you chew
- Environment
- Disease
ARE THERE COMPLICATIONS OF WISDOM TEETH
If there is no complications of overcrowding in your mouth because of your wisdom teeth, then there is no need to remove them after all no rule says you must. Some people do not remove theirs until they have pain while other chose to remove theirs to avoid complications and problem later.
For those who chose to leave theirs because they have no symptoms, they may have to schedule for oral surgery as wisdom teeth are known to cause problems the longer they remain in the mouth.
There are some complications that may be associated with wisdom teeth like:
Tooth Pain
Feeling pain at the back of your mouth may mean that you have a wisdom tooth coming out. The pain comes as a result of your tooth pressing on the nerves in your mouth. Your gums in the back of your mouth may hurt, the pain may start as a mild pain that comes and goes to a severe one. If nothing is done, the pain may continue to months even years. In fact, the pain can increase to a point where chewing and talking become so difficult.
Redness and Swelling
The area around your molars especially your third molars becomes swollen and reddish causing so much pain.
Cavities
Your third molars will make it easier for foods to be trapped inside the gums , this can cause cavities on your third molars that are coming out. Teeth in front or around the wisdom teeth may have Cavities because there is not enough space for them to be brushed or flossed.
Oral Infections
When food particles get trapped inside the gums around wisdom teeth, you can have oral infections. Some common signs that you may have oral infections are bad taste in the mouth, pain, tenderness in your jaw, redness, swelling, bad smell coming out from the mouth.
Cyst
Fluid filled sac (cyst) can start to develop in the area surrounding the wisdom teeth.
Shifting Teeth
If you do not have enough space in your mouth for the wisdom teeth to stay, they may end up shifting other teeth out of their place. This can cause your teeth to become crooked or misaligned.
Impacted Tooth
The wisdom teeth coming out may be trapped under the gum line if your jaw bone and other teeth prevent them. This can develop to a cyst at the back of your mouth and cause you so much pain. When they are impacted, they may lie down in the jaw or even at an angle toward the next tooth.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR
You should see a dentist if you feel pain or see wisdom tooth coming out from your gum. The dentist will carry out a dental x-ray to know how many you have. The x-ray will also show if there are other reasons why you are feeling pain.
If your wisdom teeth is giving you pain and other problems, your dentist will schedule you to meet an oral surgeon for removal. The teeth is removed to avoid other complications like infections, cavities, shifting teeth, loss of bone and nerve pain.
Your dentist can monitor the teeth and recommend them for removal later. However, it is important that you remove them as soon as possible as leaving them for later may cause you intense pain and make them difficult to be removed.
HOW TO REMOVE WISDOM TEETH
To remove wisdom teeth, your oral surgeon applies anaesthesia to numb the area and limit how you feel pain. Depending on the type of anaesthesia, you may be awake during the procedure or you may be asleep.
The surgeon proceeds to:
- Make a cut in your gum tissue, this is to make the wisdom teeth exposed and visible.
- The bone that blocks the tooth root from having access is removed.
- The tooth is divided into small sections, this makes them easier to be removed.
- After removing the teeth, the area is cleaned to remove traces of debris from the teeth or bone.
- The wound can be stitched up to facilitate the healing process.
- A gauze is placed over the extraction site to control how you bleed and help you form blood clot.
You will also be given guidelines and instructions of what to eat or drink and how best to care for your teeth generally to avoid further complications.
COST OF REMOVING WISDOM TEETH
The cost of having a wisdom teeth removal surgery can vary depending on the dental clinic. If you have a health insurance, you can check if it covers your dental surgery. The type of removal process you need can also influence how much you will be charged. A typical wisdom teeth removal surgery can cost between $300 to $550 per teeth.
CONCLUSION
Wisdom teeth does not signify being wise or highly evolutionary. It is just the last set of your permanent teeth to come out. Not everyone have these teeth due to factors like genes, diets, and environment. If you do not have wisdom teeth, there is no health or aesthetics problem. Do not beat yourself up if you do not have wisdom teeth. After all, there is no purpose of them.