Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars at the very back of our oral cavity. Not everyone has all 4 wisdom teeth present. These teeth appear in adults between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five but your dentist can spot them in an X-Ray before they have erupted. When there is not enough space in the jawbone, the teeth can get impacted. Because of their positioning in the jaw, it is very hard to achieve proper cleaning and this might lead to an infection called pericoronitis. If untreated, this infection can become quite painful and it can cause serious complications if the infection spreads to the rest of the body via the bloodstream.

Because of their positioning in the jaw, the impacted teeth can also get cavities both above and below the gum line as proper brushing is very hard to achieve. Occasionally an impacted tooth can be pushed onto the neighbouring molar which can lead to tooth movement, decay, or gum disease. It also can affect the way a person’s teeth meet which can affect how they eat and speak.