Wisdom tooth: Symptoms, Removal and more

Wisdoms are the last set of teeth to grow in an adult dentition. They show up anytime between late-teens to mid-twenties, hence the name. Dentists identify these wisdom teeth as third molars.

Honestly, they are not of much use; however, if present, they can help in chewing. But a lack of a third molar is nothing to worry about. Their absence does not, in any way, affect any oral function. As they are the last ones to erupt and farthest of all the teeth, they have higher chances to be clinically complicated.

Let’s find out what are some of the signs that you are getting a wisdom tooth and things about keeping (or not keeping) these teeth.

The removal of wisdom teeth is highly encouraged because despite being momentarily healthy, wisdom teeth are always at a huge risk of getting decayed, mispositioned and may also be the root cause of many other oral and dental health complications.

Dental conditions like severe pressure and pain on the adjacent teeth, severe infection, tooth decay, gum infections, increased mobility in the adjacent teeth, cysts and tumors vouch for immediate consultation and removal of the wisdom teeth.

Orthodontic treatment to fix the alignment of teeth may also require the wisdom teeth to be removed. Before extraction, the dentist will take an x-ray and examine the wisdom teeth in detail. The right option of treatment and extraction would be decided with your consent and approval.

Obviously, keeping the wisdom tooth is entirely up to the patient. If the wisdom is well-erupted, properly positioned, and otherwise healthy, then it would not be a problem and maintaining basic home-based dental hygiene could go a long way.

But if there is even a small chance for the wisdom tooth to prove problematic, keeping it could be that one worst decision of your life. A problematic wisdom tooth can cause many complications like:

1. Tooth decay: If a third molar is improperly or incompletely erupted then it is at a higher risk to develop a cavity as compared to the other teeth because cleaning a wisdom tooth is usually the hardest too.
And as the tooth is far behind in the oral cavity, unnoticed tooth decay is very common, and it can lead to a nasty tooth infection and severe pain.

2. Cysts and Tumors: The wisdom tooth is formed within a sac. If the eruption process is flawed then the sac could get filled with harmful fluid and form a cyst, which by itself is difficult to remove and it may further progress into a benign tumor, which would require extensive surgery.

3. Harm to the adjacent teeth: The second molar is most prone to damage as the third molar (the wisdom tooth) erupts. This is especially true when the eruption is problematic.
The erupting third molar, if mispositioned, can put undue and painful pressure on the roots of the second molar and cause mobility, shifting and weakening of the tooth along with severe unease and pain.

The second molar can also get decayed easily if the third molar is decayed. A problematic wisdom tooth eruption could lead to crowding of teeth and increase the risk of infection for the surrounding area. It can even dissolve the root of the tooth adjacent to it.

4. Gum infections: The cleaning of third molars is crucial and even a little negligence can lead to increased trapping of food and bacteria in the gums around it which could further cause a painful infection leading to gum bleeding.
The improperly erupted third molars are prone to develop a condition called pericoronitis which affects the gums surrounding the crown of the erupting tooth.