Wisdom teeth are the molars (located both up and down and on either side) in the very back of your mouth. In many cases they can grow improperly (i.e. at wrong angles), causing various problems in the mouth. Some of them are:
• Crowding: if there isn’t enough room for the wisdom teeth to come in properly, they may crowd and even damage the surrounding teeth.
• Remain in the gums: stubborn wisdom teeth—ones that don’t emerge the way they’re supposed to—may become trapped in the jaw, causing infection and the growth of cysts.
• Remain partially in the gums: some wisdom teeth will not emerge fully or remain wholly in the gums. In this case, the back of the mouth can become a magnet for bacteria, which can lead to oral infection or gum disease.
After reading about all the trouble wisdom teeth can cause, you may feel tempted to call your dentist and schedule their removal immediately, but the truth is, not all people need their wisdom teeth removed. In fact, some people keep them their entire life and experience no problems at all. The only way to tell is by seeing a dental professional, which you should do if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
• Cysts
• Pain
• Repeated infection
• Tumors
• Damage to surrounding teeth
• Extensive tooth decay
• Gum disease