The Wisdom Teeth

Many young adults make an appointment at their local Santa Fe dental clinic for a pain that’s been bugging them for a few days or even weeks. It’s a strange irritation coming from the back of their mouth, right after their molars. In fact, it feels like another tooth is coming in and it has become quite distressing. The verdict from the dentist: wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth are large molars that break through the gumline usually in late teens to early adulthood. The lucky few who don’t feel a thing, simply soon realize they have extra teeth. Sadly, most people report feeling discomfort and down right pain as these teeth come in.

Dentists theorize that wisdom teeth are left over from the early days of man, when extra teeth were needed to eat harsh foods. As man became more civilized, the need for the extra teeth was unnecessary.

If there is enough room in the mouth, all four wisdom teeth will come in quickly and quietly. Many times, this is not the case. As the teeth come in, it is common for gum irritation to develop. What’s more, many times these teeth come in at strange angles, lead to gum infection or the formation of cysts below the teeth.

If the wisdom teeth come in without any problems, it’s still a good idea to have them removed. Wisdom teeth are notorious for decaying since it’s hard to properly clean extra teeth that far back in the mouth.

For those teeth that are causing pain of other issues, getting them extracted as soon as possible is the best course of action.

For a straightforward tooth extraction without complications, seeing a dentist is the ideal course of action for getting rid of these teeth. It’s a relatively simple procedure, a numbing shot is given and the tooth or teeth are extracted.

More complicated wisdom teeth extractions will require a specialist—usually an oral or maxillofacial surgeon—to get the troublesome teeth out.

If you have your wisdom teeth coming in or they have come in, contact your dentist. He or she will tell you what your next steps should be and even give you referrals to a specialist if one is needed.