Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Wisdom Teeth Extraction
July 30, 2006
By Laurie Udesky
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE

Ô Why do we even have wisdom teeth?
Ô How do I know if my wisdom teeth should be removed?
Ô If I don't have any pain or swelling, can I just leave my wisdom teeth alone?
Ô What makes wisdom teeth more vulnerable to infection?
Ô How are wisdom teeth removed?
Ô What are the possible complications of wisdom teeth removal?
Ô What should I do after the surgery?

What's so smart about teeth that only cause trouble? "Wisdom teeth" may seem like a misnomer, especially since people often have to have them removed. But these teeth -- also known as third molars -- usually arrive in the late teen years, a time traditionally seen as the passage to adulthood and an age of wisdom, hence the optimistic name.

The main problem is that wisdom teeth usually try to grow into a jaw that's too small for them. The last teeth in the jawline, they often grow in sideways, pushing against teeth that are already in place and minding their own business. Because wisdom teeth are difficult to clean, there may be a build-up of bacteria, plaque, and food debris around them -- something that can cause gum disease or decay in the wisdom tooth and other molars.

Why do we even have wisdom teeth?

Dentists say wisdom teeth are apparently a vestigial organ -- that is, one that isn't very useful now but played an important role in the body in eons past. The diets of our prehistoric ancestors contained much more coarse food, which resulted in a larger, more developed jaw with more room for third molars. People also used to lose more permanent teeth at an early age, leaving space for wisdom teeth that would serve as replacements.

"Some say wisdom teeth are like spare tires," says Dr. Louis Rafetto, a Wilmington, Delaware-based oral surgeon who chairs the Third Molar Task Force of the American Association of Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons. "If you lost your teeth, the wisdom teeth would be extra teeth that come in and function like normal teeth."

Since fewer people in the United States today are in danger of losing their permanent teeth, though, wisdom teeth have generally outgrown their usefulness for us. If a checkup shows that your wisdom teeth may cause problems, your dentist will probably recommend that that the troublesome teeth be removed -- whether that means a couple of wisdom teeth or all four of them. In the event that all four have grown in normally, your dentist may adopt a wait-and-see approach, taking x-rays every few years to make sure they're still healthy.

How do I know if my wisdom teeth should be removed?

Check with your dentist. Pain and swelling around your wisdom teeth indicate that they're causing problems. Whether or not you have any symptoms, x-rays will show whether there's infection or whether your teeth are impacted -- that is, if there's no room for them to erupt through the gum.

If I don't have any pain or swelling, can I just leave my wisdom teeth alone?

Even if you don't have pain or swelling, your dentist may recommend that you get your wisdom teeth removed early on. The main reason ...