Myths and Facts About Wisdom Teeth Removal

At birth, everyone comes with at least two set of molars. Molars are the almost flat shaped teeth at the back of the mouth which you use in chewing on things like meat, ham, vegetables and more. However, over time, a vast majority of people grow the third set of molars which in some cases do not break through the gum until later in life. The emergence of the third set of molars is common within the age of 17 and 25 and since you are more matured when these teeth erupts, they are generally dubbed as the ‘wisdom teeth’.

The wisdom teeth however come bearing with it a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions which we will address in this article.

You Have to Have Wisdom Teeth Removed

Since dental care in Kennesaw (learn more here) has become more affordable, several persons have become aware of the need to care for their teeth and as such, a proportion of the population rarely have problems with their teeth. While most people usually don’t have problems with their molars needing replacement as a result of damage or decay, wisdom teeth have evolutionarily become an unnecessary growth in the mouth for most people. The wisdom teeth can however be left in place to grow but in some cases, they come out misaligned, a condition which causes discomfort or when they fail to erupt entirely through the gums. In the event the wisdom teeth fail to erupt entirely, they predispose the patient to dangers of infections and other complications therefore have to be removed.

While most people have had their orthodontic work by the time the wisdom teeth begin to grow, the growth may lead to a shift out of alignment and therefore have to be removed.

Everyone Has Wisdom Teeth

While it is most believed that everyone has wisdom teeth, the fact remains that not everyone does. The third set of molars may never get to surface for some people while some others might only grow partial sets of it.

When a fully grown wisdom teeth surfaces, it comes along with four molars, one on each quadrant of the mouth, but in the case of partial growth, it may only surface on the upper half or lower half of the mouth.

However, it is worth noting that just because you can’t see or feel the wisdom teeth growing does not mean they are not there in your mouth.

Wisdom Teeth Should Be Removed Before Orthodontic Treatments

This is true only in some cases. However, it is not necessary to have your wisdom teeth removed before getting your orthodontic work done. Although, there is a risk that the growth of the wisdom teeth over time may discomfort your well aligned teeth, causing it to shift, but a proper dental clinic would have factored this into treatment or should it be pointed as a risk, you can have it removed to prevent further complications.

Wisdom Teeth Removal is Harder as You Age

This is as true as it goes, the older you get, the harder it is to remove your wisdom teeth and the longer the recovery time. While recovery time is different for everyone based on the differences in lifestyle choices, diets, health and other factor, it is considered important to note that recovery time is usually shorter in younger patients. The shorter recovery time in younger patients however may be due to the under-development of the root of the tooth therefore making it easier to extract compared to an adult whose bone is dense.