Have you been noticing inflamed gums or a clear increase in cavities? It may be time for your wisdom teeth to be extracted. While wisdom teeth were crucial for digesting tough foods thousands of years ago, they are no longer a required part of our mouths and digestive process. To help you get to grips with the whats and whys of wisdom teeth, we’ve created a complete London City Smiles guide.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are a set of molars furthest back in the structure of your teeth, with the majority of people growing one in each corner of their mouth. When your wisdom teeth grow out in alignment, they can actually be helpful for chewing difficult to eat foods. Despite this, wisdom teeth can be the root cause of a lot of the disruption within your mouth. Headaches and cavities are part and parcel of misaligned wisdom teeth, but if you’re noticing these clear signs, you should get in touch with your dentist as soon as possible.
When do wisdom teeth arrive?
As the last stage in the development of your mouth, wisdom teeth will start to arrive between the ages of 17 and 26. However, some adults may start to see eruptions a bit later in life. Because wisdom teeth arrive so late in our development, the mouth may already be overcrowded and misaligned. This misalignment can cause a lot of pain and discomfort when left, especially for young people. We always recommend taking your children to the dentists as soon as you can when you become aware of those early signs.
Does everybody have wisdom teeth?
While the vast majority of people will have at least one wisdom tooth erupt at some point in their life, there are still some who will never see them. Studies suggest that around a quarter of people will never have more than three wisdom teeth. Don’t stress if none of your wisdom teeth have pushed erupted though – a significant 35% of the population never see their wisdom teeth emerge.
Do all wisdom teeth have to be removed?
Don’t get us wrong – many people will have their wisdom teeth sit comfortably in their mouth for the rest of their life. Even so, there are some warning signs you should look out for around the age that wisdom teeth usually emerge. Jaw pain, teeth cysts and sinus issues are all clear and obvious indications that wisdom teeth are struggling to settle in the structure of your teeth. Keeping an eye out for these early signs makes the whole process of wisdom extraction a whole lot less painful.
If you’re struggling with wisdom teeth, it’s important to get in touch with your dentist as soon as you can. Here at London City Smiles, we use professional techniques to give you the best treatment possible – get in touch with us today.
