Man is constantly evolving. Our ancestors were eating uncooked hard vegetables, fruits, nuts and meat and their jaws were protruded. But as man evolved with cooking and a softer diet, the jaws became smaller. This is the reason for lack of space for the wisdom teeth that erupt last. Now with the fast food era, the wisdom teeth will be totally lost in future generations.
Wisdom tooth pain may present as pain in the head, neck or ear other than the tooth itself. Sometimes they are removed even if there are no symptoms. Most commonly, removal is advised in the following conditions.
- They are impacted or do not have space to erupt completely and is painful.
- To prevent crowding during or after orthodontic treatment or braces.
- Recurrent cheek bite caused by the teeth.
- Infection of the gums and bone covering the tooth.
- When the position of wisdom tooth causes food impaction and decay or resorption of second molar.
- If it disturbs a denture
- Decay and difficulty to clean the wisdom tooth.
- Sometimes an unerupted third molar can be involved in the formation of a cyst that can weaken the bone.
Sometimes prophylactic removal in younger patients is done to prevent complications in old age owing to tooth position. In some people, they erupt completely and do not cause any problems. However, the removal of the third molar does not cause difficulty in chewing if the rest of the teeth are intact. Your dentist can monitor third molars during regular check-ups if they are asymptomatic.
