Wisdom Teeth Extractions

While wisdom teeth may have served an important role in the mouths of our ancestors, their development often causes problems for modern man. Wisdom teeth develop after all the other permanent teeth have settled into position, forming beneath the gums behind our back molars in our teens and early twenties. Sometimes they emerge from the gums without a problem. Other times, the eruption of wisdom teeth can cause damage to the surrounding teeth and invite the bacteria that cause infection.

A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. When wisdom teeth come in, a number of problems can occur:

• Your jaw may not be large enough for them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
• Your wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can get trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful. These are signs of infection.
• More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or a cyst.
• One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side