Do you still have your wisdom teeth? Why did your wisdom teeth need to be extracted? Does everyone has wisdom teeth, and when do they typically erupt? The answers to these and other questions are here as we explore all the myths and truths about the mysterious “wisdom teeth.”
Basically, the term “wisdom teeth” is used to describe the third set of molars in the human mouth. Not all people actually have wisdom teeth, and for those that do, a good portion of these are positioned badly or become impacted and never erupt through the gum. Impacted wisdom teeth are hindered by your jaw bone or the soft tissue surrounding them. If they only partially erupt, you have a higher risk of decay and gum disease as they will be much more difficult to keep clean. If they never erupt at all, they could have a serious effect on the alignment of your other teeth.
If your wisdom teeth don’t erupt or only partially erupt, we’ll probably recommend that you have them removed. We can also give you a referral for a specialist to take care of the problem. Impacted wisdom tooth extraction typically involves a general anesthetic and surgical extraction. You can expect some swelling, bleeding and tenderness in your mouth and the surrounding facial areas, but that will usually fade over the next few days. It does, however, take up to a month for your incision to be completely healed.