Do You Really Need Your Wisdom Teeth?

About 100 million years ago, the jaws of prehistoric man could easily accommodate all 32 teeth, including Wisdom Teeth. Wisdom Teeth are the third set of molars that come in after birth. Paleontologists and anthropologists will tell you that because early man walked on all fours, much like a dog, the massive jaw lead the way.

According to Wikipedia, teeth played an important role. Jaws were larger, which helped with running and balance. Teeth were used to catch, dismember, and eat prey. Early mans diet consisted of raw meat, roots and a healthy diet of leaves. This meant that having 32 teeth was a massive advantage. Prehistoric men and women did not have the luxury of seeing a dentist either which meant that those Wisdom Teeth might have been a back up if the first and second molars were worn down, broken, or lost.

Once man began to walk upright, Wisdom Teeth were not as important. According to some scientists, jaws became shorter and brains larger. Once this occurred the amount of space for teeth was lessened.

Those who oppose evolution say that it was dental hygiene and dietary changes that lessened the importance of Wisdom Teeth, totally discounting the jaw shortening and brain growth theory.

Whatever the reason Wisdom Teeth are the only teeth that develop entirely after you are born. In fact, 35 percent of people never see an appearance of Wisdom Teeth at all.

According to your dentist, Wisdom Teeth are valuable as long as they come in properly and are healthy. However, problems with third molars can occur especially if your jaw is not large enough to accommodate your new Wisdom Teeth.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth are one of the biggest issues when it comes to the third set of molars. If the teeth do not erupt properly and are impacted, the other teeth will obstruct the path. If this occurs, your dentist may recommend having your Wisdom Teeth extracted.

Other problems that could occur include sideways growth or part of the tooth causing damage to the adjacent teeth. Your dentist may also recommend removal if cysts begin to form or if jaw stiffness, pain, and swelling are present.

If you would like more information regarding Wisdom Teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist who will be able to decide whether you or kids need to have those third molars extracted.

Oral Piercings May Be Cool but They Could Also Be Dangerous

These days it’s quite rare to see a teen or young adult who doesn’t have something pierced, but according to your dentist, there are some dangers that are very real when it comes to oral piercings.

According to a recent article published on the Colgate website, oral piercings can cause a number of things including infections and jewelry aspiration. Tongue, cheek, and lip piercings can also be to blame for permanent nerve damage.

The metal jewelry that is used in oral piercings comes in many styles. These include barbells, rings or hoops and studs, but unlike ear piercing, oral piercings cause a great threat to your overall health, including your teeth and gums.

Because your mouth is host to millions of bacteria, oral piercings could cause infection, not only from the wound itself, but also from the jewelry. If you or the person who is handling the stud, ring or barbell has not disinfected his or her hands you could be asking for trouble.

Serious or prolonged bleeding is another complication that can occur after oral piercing. If the person who is doing the piercing accidentally punctures a blood vessel, prolonged bleeding and extreme blood loss could be the result.

Your dentist understands that swelling and pain is expected after any type of oral or body piercing, but in extreme cases, the tongue becomes so swollen that it has actually cut off the breathing passageway severely restricting breathing.

If your teeth are exposed to your oral jewelry, you are setting yourself up for fractured teeth, chips, and damage to your caps, fillings, and crowns. 

Metal mouth jewelry can injure your gum tissue. Once this begins, it is very difficult to reverse, as your gums will begin to recede eventually leading to tooth loss. You may think that your mouth jewelry looks cool, but recessed gums are not very attractive. If the root of your tooth is exposed you are also setting yourself up for periodontal disease.

Mouth jewelry can also cause problems for oral function including your ability to speak or chew properly. Oral piercings have also been known to cause excessive saliva.

Oral piercings could be responsible for transmitted diseases including hepatitis B, C, D, and the Herpes Simplex virus.

People who have undiagnosed heart problems and decide to have their lips, cheek, or tongue pierced could be risking endocarditis, or an inflammation of the heart or heart valves if bacteria happens to enter the bloodstream.

If you would like more information regarding the dangers of oral piercings, schedule an appointment with your dentist who can help you understand the risks.