Their appearance doesn’t grant you any particular insight or knowledge. On the contrary, third molars are called wisdom teeth because they typically appear during what was once called “the age of wisdom” – the ages between 17 and 25. By the time they erupt, most patients have already developed a full set of teeth that take up most of the space on their dental ridges.
The choice to extract wisdom teeth usually stems from the problems that they can cause. When wisdom teeth become impacted (obstructed by the teeth already present), they can cause severe discomfort, as well as damage to your other teeth. While some patients can grow and develop their wisdom teeth without trouble, many still choose to extract them before the molars have a chance to cause trouble.
These days, most adults don’t need them, but experts believe that in ancient times, our ancestors required the additional chewing power that three sets of molars provided. Our ancestors also had larger jaws and could more comfortably accommodate the molars, unlike the smaller jaws of today’s typical humans. This may be an adaptation that is related to our processed diet compared to a whole food diet our predecessors enjoyed.
As a board-certified periodontist, Dr. Ann M. Kania is specially qualified to diagnose and treat issues concerning periodontal tissue and the supportive structures of a patient’s smile, as well as place dental implants to restore teeth lost to dental disease or trauma. Dr. Kania also offers the Pinhole® Surgical Technique (PST) for minimally-invasive, scalpel-free gum grafting. To seek Dr. Kania’s expertise, contact her office today at (760) 642-0711.
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