Wisdom teeth are removed with oral surgery. An oral or maxillofacial surgeon generally performs the procedure. The difficulty of the surgery depends on several factors, including the orientation of your wisdom teeth and how much they have developed. For example, wisdom teeth with fully developed roots are harder to extract and come with a higher risk of complications. For this reason, it can be better to have wisdom teeth removed at an early stage. No matter what the circumstances, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to handle the situation. More than likely, you’ll be sedated during the entire process. Afterward, you’re likely to have swelling in your mouth and cheeks, but this will subside with time.
Wisdom Teeth
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RealAge answeredDuring wisdom teeth extraction, your doctor will give you a local anesthetic (pain reliever) before starting the procedure. This anesthetic numbs the entire mouth and allows the doctor to remove the tooth without pain. If the tooth is impacted or if the doctor believes he or she may need to cut the root or break the tooth, you may receive a local anesthetic as well as an intravenous medicine that helps keep you unaware of any pain. In some cases, steroids are delivered by an intravenous line to help lower the chance of swelling. In serious cases, people can have their wisdom teeth extracted in the hospital under general anesthesia. -
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RealAge answeredSee All 2 AnswersAfter your wisdom teeth are removed you will probably experience some pain and discomfort. Wisdom teeth are also called the third molars and are the last set of teeth to emerge. Wisdom teeth often get stuck, or impacted, as they try to erupt through the gums, and must be taken out. Removing impacted wisdom teeth requires a dentist or oral surgeon to make an incision in the gums, sometimes requiring stitches. Cold packs and pain relievers can help with pain following the procedure.
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Discovery Health answeredSee All 2 AnswersWisdom teeth have a nasty habit of becoming impacted, coming in at a funny angle or growing in an unexpected place.
The poor positioning of the teeth can cause infection and pain. Even if the teeth do come in properly, they still can pose problems later on. The wisdom teeth are hard to clean, so they can rot and infect teeth in the general vicinity. They also can crowd teeth and can undo years of straight alignments that were accomplished by braces.
To avoid problems, dentists often recommend having wisdom teeth extracted from young adults, before the teeth have the opportunity to attach to the jaw and pose complications when they are removed. -
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RealAge answeredSee All 2 AnswersWisdom teeth are considered a vestigial organ -- no longer useful -- because our diet has evolved. Early humans ate a mostly raw diet of foraged plants and hunted animals, which required a lot of rough chewing. That wore down their teeth. By the time wisdom teeth, the last molars, erupted between ages 17 and 25, their other molars and teeth had worn down, allowing room for the wisdom tooth to come in. With the introduction of cooking, our food got noticeably softer and our teeth remain in good shape. Also, modern orthodonture helps us keep a well-rounded mouth structure. As a result, there often is not enough room for wisdom teeth to erupt without damaging the other teeth, or else they may become impacted when they start to erupt and need to be removed.
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Discovery Health answeredSee All 2 AnswersThere was a time -- about 100 million years ago -- when our jaws could easily accommodate all 32 teeth, including the wisdom teeth. That was when human beings got around on all four limbs and had a protruding jaw leading the way.
Early man's jaws were more prominent because his teeth played an essential role in survival. The front appendages previously were occupied with balance and running, while the teeth were used to catch, dismember and consume prey.
Our ancestors lived a on diet of chewy and tough roots, leaves and raw meat. It was a huge advantage at that time to have 32 teeth for chewing, especially because early man did not go to the dentist to maintain healthy teeth.
Having a third set of molars may have been a way to ensure prehistoric man had backup teeth when other teeth were worn down or lost.
Once hominoids began walking upright the arms took on a bigger role in gathering food. After that, our brains became larger and our jaws became shorter.
Researchers still do not know which came first, but in 2004, a team from the University of Pennsylvania announced the discovery of a gene called MYH16. Mutations in the gene lead to shorter jaws, which may have allowed early man's brain to grow. However it happened, when the brain began to grow, there was less space in the mouth for teeth. -
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RealAge answeredSee All 2 AnswersExperts who are skeptical of evolution usually attribute our lessening reliance on wisdom teeth to modern man's rapid change in diet. Early on, our diet consisted of plenty of raw and hard foods that required a great deal of chewing and more teeth. Toward the end of the 17th century dental diseases, especially infected and impacted wisdom teeth, were common. According to some medical historians, that time period also saw numerous changes in the human diet, which began to include more soft, cooked foods. Today we eat a diet that's largely made up of processed foods that don't require nearly as much chewing.
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 3 AnswersWisdom teeth, also referred to as third molars, get their name by being the last teeth to come in during young adulthood. As part of a dental visit, your dentist will examine you to determine if your wisdom teeth are healthy and properly positioned.
Regular dental visits are important so your dentist can evaluate not just your wisdom teeth but your overall oral health to help you prevent and manage dental disease and achieve optimal oral health. -
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Dr. Todd A. Welch, DMD , Periodontics, answeredSee All 3 AnswersThere was a time when our jaws could comfortably accommodate all 32 teeth, including the third molars. You have to go back about 100 million years ago, though, to the prehistoric version of man. Instead of walking upright, this guy got around on all four limbs, with a massive protruding jaw leading the way.
Early man's jaws were larger and more prominent because teeth played a vital role in survival. With the front appendages occupied with balance and running, teeth were prehistoric man's means of catching, dismembering and consuming prey. Our ancestors subsisted on a tough and chewy diet of leaves, roots and raw meat. Having 32 teeth's worth of chewing ability was a huge advantage at this point, especially because early man didn't visit the dentist with the regularity we do today; third molars might have played an important backup role when teeth were lost or worn down.
Some say it's possible these teeth will eventually disappear. Still, there are a few unknowns in the equation. Scientists aren't sure of the role that DNA plays in creating teeth at the third molar position. Third molars develop entirely after birth, the only teeth to do so. Because these teeth aren't present at birth, it may be harder for nature to select against them. For wisdom teeth evolution to form, the tissue that starts the process of tooth building has to migrate back in the mouth to interact with the back jaw tissue. If this migration doesn't happen, then no tooth will grow there.
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 4 Answers
Wisdom teeth, also referred to as third molars, get their name by being the last teeth to come in during young adulthood. Watch as Dr. Maria Lopez explains the importance of having a dentist monitor the progress of your wisdom teeth.