Ever had that excruciating molar toothache in the middle of the night? It is your inflamed wisdom tooth trying to push its way out. Often people remain aloof to details about wisdom teeth until the time they experience the dreaded pain of wisdom teeth. For your knowledge, wisdom teeth are the final molar in your molar quadrant, placed at the extreme end. To increase your knowledge about wisdom teeth, here are some interesting facts.
The Name
The very first thing which makes you wonder is that why wisdom teeth are called so? The whole idea of naming this third molar as wisdom tooth came from the age factor. Unlike deciduous or primary teeth, wisdom teeth only erupt after the age of 17. Often people get their wisdom teeth between the age group of 17 to 25 years. As this age bracket is considered to be a time when one becomes wise, the name wisdom teeth were given to these molars.
Not for All
In general, people have four sets of wisdom teeth which grow over a period of time. However, in some cases, people are born without these third molars. In the early stage of evolution, these molars were needed to chew the raw and tough foods. With time, the need for same has diminished, and wisdom teeth are no longer a necessity. This has somehow adapted to the current evolution, and hence, around 35% people in the world will not have wisdom teeth.
The Problems
Though wisdom teeth are just another set of molar, their positioning is such that they tend to cause various types of dental problems. Impaction being the most common type, it causes the molar to erupt partially which in turn causes inflammation and gum infections. Pericoronitis is another issue faced due to partially erupted wisdom tooth. The tissue above the partially erupted molar gets inflamed and causes pain, swelling, and bad breath.
Wisdom teeth are something that you may or may not get. If you do get your wisdom teeth, they never erupt easily. With the kind of problems they create, a majority of people decide to get them extracted. Extraction of wisdom tooth not only relieves you of the pain but also safeguards you from tooth decay and infection. So if you have an inflamed wisdom tooth and wish to extract it, visit a skilled dentist for a smooth extraction.