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  • Dr Vidya Varathan Dental Care

Wisdom Teeth 101

As you grow older, all your teeth start to surface, including your molars. During the age of 17 to 21, you start to get your third molars. These are known as wisdom teeth because they surface at a more mature age. If you want to know more about wisdom teeth 101, read on.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Sometimes, the surfacing of your wisdom teeth might not be as smooth as other teeth. This is because of lack of space in your jaws. Dentists call this Impacted Wisdom Teeth, which means that your wisdom teeth have gotten stuck under your gum. 

As they come at quite an old age, it is important that you take extra care of your wisdom teeth. When surfaced properly, the wisdom teeth can help you chew your food better. But if you have pain during the surfacing of your wisdom teeth, it is advised that you visit a dentist immediately.  

Monitoring of Wisdom Teeth

As your wisdom teeth grow, the dentist will check for some important signs.

  1. Your wisdom teeth shouldn’t be in a position to allow food to get stuck. This can give room for cavity-causing bacteria to grow.

  2. They need to be growing out properly to ensure that your other molars are not affected. If not, it can be difficult to floss between them.

  3. Partially surfaced wisdom teeth can pave way for bacteria into the gums and infect them.

  4. If there is not enough room for wisdom teeth, they can damage other neighbouring teeth.

  5. Impacted wisdom teeth can form a cyst that can damage other nearby teeth and their roots.

Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Wisdom teeth can cause a number of problems if they aren’t properly monitored. If you have wisdom teeth, you need to frequently visit your dentist. In some cases, dentists suggest that you get your wisdom teeth removed after proper examination. Some of these cases are,

  1. Pain

  2. Infection, cysts, or tumors

  3. Possible damage to nearby teeth

  4. Gum disease

  5. Tooth decay (usually not possible to repair the tooth)

  6. Braces or other dental care 

Caring For Wisdom Teeth

If you decide to keep your wisdom teeth, you will need to take utmost care to ensure that this doesn’t result in any problem in the future. As you age, you might face more problems when it comes to wisdom teeth. Ensure that you brush your teeth and floss around the wisdom teeth properly every day to reduce these risks.

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