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.

Talk To Your Kids Corona Dentist about Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom Teeth usually come in between the ages of 16 to 21 and are the last set of molars that your children will have.  If you have kids, whose wisdom teeth have began to appear, it could be time to make an appointment with your Kids Dentist Corona.

According to Web MD, molars can be useful if they are properly aligned, and healthy, but your Kids Dentist in Corona will tell you that most teens have trouble with wisdom teeth as they can grow in awkwardly. All too often, wisdom teeth will come in horizontally or be angled away or towards the second molars. Impacted molars are another problem that is often seen by your Corona Kids Dentist. When these problems occur, All Smiles Kids Dentist in Corona will recommend a further evaluation to assess the problem.

When your teen’s wisdom teeth become impacted, it means that the molars are encased by the jawbone and soft tissue making it impossible for the wisdom teeth to erupt. If partial eruption has occurred, bacteria will grow through the opening around the tooth itself. The bacteria will cause a serious infection resulting in swelling, pain, and jaw stiffness. Teeth that are partially erupted are prone to gum disease and tooth decay because it is hard to floss and brush properly.

During an appointment with your Kids Dentist Corona, ask Dr. Lan Nguyen about wisdom teeth. He will look at how the wisdom teeth are positioned and possibly take and X-ray in order to evaluate the situation. Dr. Nguyen may decide to watch how the wisdom teeth develop, or schedule an appointment for an oral surgeon. Your Kids Dentist in Corona and the oral surgeon may decide to remove the wisdom teeth before problems begin to occur, which would help avoid a more complicated and painful extraction in the future. Your Kids Dentist Corona will tell you that removing wisdom teeth is much easier when your children are younger as the roots of the wisdom teeth have not fully developed.

If you think your kids are experiencing problems with wisdom teeth, schedule an appointment with the best Kids Dentist Corona. All Smiles will be able to evaluate the situation and come up with a plan that is best suited for the health and wellbeing of your children.