Wisdom Teeth Removal

What is wisdom teeth removal?

Wisdom tooth removal — or wisdom tooth extraction — is a common oral surgery procedure. Dentists may recommend this treatment to preserve your oral health and protect your other teeth from possible issues in the future.

Your wisdom teeth — also called third molars — are in the very back of your mouth. Typically, they erupt (grow in) sometime between the ages of 17 and 20.

Scientists believe wisdom teeth are vestigial structures (parts of the human body that are no longer necessary). Our ancestors needed these teeth to crush and chew raw leaves, nuts, roots and meat. Today, we eat more cooked food and use forks and knives to cut our food up into smaller pieces. As a result, we don’t really need wisdom teeth anymore.

Some people have all four wisdom teeth (one in each quadrant — the upper left, lower left, upper right and lower right). Others may have one, two, three or none at all. No matter how many wisdom teeth you do (or don’t) have, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. It’s just a variation of normal and a sign of the ever-changing evolutionary process.

Why is this done?

You might need wisdom teeth removed if you:

• Have one or more impacted wisdom teeth. (“Impacted” means partially or fully trapped in your gums or jawbone.)
• Have wisdom teeth that grew in crooked or sideways.
• Develop pain near the back of your mouth.
• Trap food and debris around your wisdom teeth.
• Develop gum disease, particularly around your molars.
• Have tooth decay (cavities) in a partially erupted wisdom tooth.
• Develop a cyst (fluid-filled sac) around one or more wisdom teeth.
• Have damage to nearby teeth or surrounding bone.

In many cases, dentists recommend wisdom teeth extraction as a preventive measure. As a result, your dentist may suggest removing your wisdom teeth even if you don’t have any symptoms. This can help reduce your risk for future problems, including infection and tooth decay.