Wisdom Teeth... not so wise.

A wisdom tooth, in humans, is any of the usually four third molars, including mandibular third molar and maxillary third molar. Wisdom teeth usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25.  Most adults have four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have more, in which case they are called supernumerary teeth. Wisdom teeth commonly affect other teeth as they develop, becoming impacted or "coming in sideways". They are often extracted when this occurs. Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt in the mouth. Technically molars, because they erupt behind the 2nd molars in the mouth. We have 4 wisdom teeth, two in the upper arch and two in the lower. The wisdom teeth are the ones least needed for good oral health. They may not erupt or emerge from your gums until your late teens or early twenties - if they erupt at all. Most often they are impacted or trapped in the jaw-bone and gums, usually because there is not enough room for them in your mouth. Our jaws are smaller than those of early humans, who needed large jaws and more teeth for their tougher diet. We don't need that extra chewing power any more. In fact, wisdom teeth often do more harm than good, and in-case of any problems related to them, your dentist would suggest removing them. 

There are a few possible ways in which wisdom teeth may cause problems: 

Gum disease: Most people are aware of the pain experienced during the eruption of these teeth. This generally happens because these partly erupted teeth are difficult to keep clean, and the accumulated food particles cause the gums around the tooth to get infected. Such an infection is felt as swelling and pain around the area. Sometimes the tooth is trying to erupt, but has not yet broken through the gums. When the upper tooth bites down onto this gum, pain can be caused. 

Impacted: It sometimes happens that there is not enough space in the mouth for these teeth to erupt. In such cases they may try to erupt in an abnormal direction, or may get locked into the jaw. This locking is known as impaction. 

Decay: A wisdom tooth may decay unnoticed, as they are the most difficult teeth to keep clean, being so far back into the mouth. Positions of Impaction: Due to unavailability of space in the jaws, the impacted wisdom teeth grow in many different directions, commonly at an angle. The complexity of surgery depends on the type of impaction, as explained below. 

A wisdom wisdom tooth may grow at an angle towards your other teeth. This type of impaction is called as a Mesio-angular impaction. • A  wisdom tooth which erupts at an angle away from your other teeth is said to be Disto-angularly impacted. • A  wisdom tooth facing your other teeth horizontally is said to be Horizontally impacted. • A  tooth which is in normal direction but still unable to erupt due to lack of space is said to be Vertically impacted. 

Floss and brush daily to ward off tooth decay and gum disease, and make sure you get regular dental checkups. Extraction Wisdom teeth are extracted for two general reasons: either the wisdom teeth have already become impacted, or the wisdom teeth could potentially become problematic if not extracted. Potential problems caused by the presence of properly grown-in wisdom teeth include infections caused by food particles easily trapped in the jaw area behind the wisdom teeth where regular brushing and flossing is difficult and ineffective. Such infections may be frequent, and cause considerable pain and medical danger. Other reasons wisdom teeth are removed include misalignment which rubs up against the tongue or cheek causing pain, potential crowding or malocclusion of the remaining teeth (a result of there being not enough room on the jaw or in the mouth), as well as orthodontics wisdom tooth care precautions 

1). Avoid excessive rinsing or gargling of mouth. 

2). Avoid excessive spitting of excess saliva and blood in mouth. Try to swallow your saliva as per normal. 

3). Take cool liquid to soft diet as tolerated. 

4). Avoid driving or operating heavy machineries if you are taking any sedatives or medications that makes you drowsy or interferes with your motor reflexes. 

5). Do not tug at or pull at the sutures or stitches at the operative site.