Your teeth emerge from your gums at different stages throughout childhood and into early adulthood. The first teeth to erupt are your incisors, then your canines, then your premolars and molars, and lastly your third molars. Third molars, named as such because they are the third set of molars and last teeth to emerge, are also known as wisdom teeth. Third molars emerge at the farthest back of the mouth. Typically people have four wisdom teeth; one tooth on the top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right. While there are lots of people that have no issues with the eruption of their wisdom teeth, many people have wisdom teeth that cause pain, swelling, and infection. When these types of complications occur, extracting the wisdom teeth may become necessary.
When Does It Typically Occur?
Wisdom teeth usually erupt when people are between the ages of 17 and 22 years old. As the teeth begin to emerge from the gums, it can become quite painful. Because the ways our mouths have evolved, many people simply do not have room in their mouth for the wisdom teeth. This lack of room in the smile can be problematic and lead to complications.
Why Is Extraction Necessary?
When there is no room for the wisdom teeth to comfortably emerge, the teeth come in at an odd angle. The teeth can be forced to press on nerves and bone, overcrowd any surrounding teeth, or even cause damage to the nearby teeth. When wisdom teeth partially erupt from the gums, bacteria may infect the open area of the gum tissue. This can cause the gums to become inflamed, swollen, red, and/or painful. In some cases, wisdom teeth can be impacted, which means they are blocked by bones or other teeth and cannot erupt at all. When any of these complications occur, it can become necessary to extract the wisdom teeth to protect the mouth’s health.
Wisdom teeth can sometimes cause complications for your smile
Do you have questions about your wisdom teeth? We proudly help patients from Breaux Bridge, Broussard, Scott, Youngsville, and surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, contact us at our Lafayette, LA, dentist’s office at 337-237-6453.