The majority of adults will acquire their third set of molars between the ages of 17 and 21, on average. These molars are also referred to as wisdom teeth in some circles.
Teeth are classified according to where they are located and what they do. Sharper teeth can break food into tiny pieces, while flatter teeth can ground food down to a fine powder. Wisdom teeth are the flatter type of teeth, which are referred to as molars. You may find your molars all the way in the rear of your mouth. Adults have three sets of molars on the top and bottom of their teeth, as well as on both sides of their mouth.
Humans grow their first set of teeth from birth to early adolescence, then lose them and grow a completely new set of teeth at the same time. Afterwards, there is a short break before the last set of teeth emerges during the early adulthood period.
They are referred to as wisdom teeth because they are the last teeth to emerge from the gums. When these teeth come in, you’ll supposedly be a little “wiser.”
How often is it for people to get wisdom teeth?
All of a person’s teeth, located higher up in the skull structure than they will ever have, are present at birth. In the beginning, a set of twenty baby teeth erupts and falls out. After that, 32 permanent teeth appear. The first set of molars normally appears around the age of 6, the second set around the age of 12, and the last set (wisdom teeth) somewhere before the age of twenty one.
Wisdom teeth were once required for a diet consisting primarily of roots, leaves, meat, and nuts. Humans can now cook food to soften it, and we can cut and crush it using utensils to make it more digestible.
Anthropologists believe that humans have progressed beyond the point where they require wisdom teeth, and as a result, some people may never develop them. Wisdom teeth may follow in the footsteps of the appendix and become completely superfluous in the future. According to some researchers, it wouldn’t surprise them if no one had wisdom teeth in the future.
Even yet, most adults grow wisdom teeth due to heredity. According to one study, at least 53 percent of adults had at least one wisdom teeth come in at some point. Men were more likely than women to get infected with them.
It is important to note that just because you cannot see all of your wisdom teeth does not imply that they are not present. Sometimes wisdom teeth may not erupt and do not become apparent for a long period of time. An X-ray can determine whether or not you have wisdom teeth buried behind your gums.
Wisdom teeth, whether visible or not, have the potential to create oral health concerns. The term “impacted” refers to wisdom teeth that have not yet broken through the gums. This can sometimes cause even more complications than the presence of visible wisdom teeth.
Why then are wisdom teeth removed?
Humans and their jaws have decreased over time. This evolutionary advancement is likely due to a number of factors. According to some experts, as the human brain grew larger over time, the jaw shrank to make room for it.
Our dental and dietary requirements have also evolved significantly. Because humans have smaller jaws, there isn’t always enough room in the mouth for all of our teeth. There are a total of four wisdom teeth, two on top and two on bottom. The number of wisdom teeth a person has might range from none to all four.
Most jaws are finished growing by the time a person reaches the age of 18, but wisdom teeth usually appear around the age of 19.5 years. The majority of issues caused by wisdom teeth are due to their inability to fit properly.
The following are some of the issues that can arise as a result of wisdom teeth:
- rooked teeth
- crowded teeth
- wisdom teeth growing in sideways
- increased tooth decay
- jaw pain
- cysts under the gums and possibly tumors
If any of the above alterations are apparent, the American Dental Association recommends that the tooth be removed.
It is suggested that teenagers be assessed for wisdom tooth extraction surgery. People who have their wisdom teeth removed while they are younger have a better recovery time since the roots and bone have not fully grown. This can assist prevent problems from arising in the first place.
While it comes to surgery, there are always risks, so be sure to ask a lot of questions when deciding whether or not to have these teeth removed. If you elect not to have your wisdom teeth removed, your dentist will need to keep a constant eye on them. Wisdom teeth become more bothersome as time goes on.
Wisdom tooth removal is sometimes recommended before any orthodontic work, such as braces, to guarantee that these teeth don’t erupt later and destroy all of the hard work that has gone into moulding your jaw and teeth.
Your wisdom teeth can be extracted by a dentist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. They’ll provide you step-by-step guidance on how to prepare for surgery and what to expect during the recuperation period.
Sources
- doi.org/10.5624/isd.2013.43.4.219
- https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-have-wisdom-teeth
- pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2004/march/myosin-mutant-first-protein-di
- mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/expert-answers/wisdom-teeth-removal/faq-20058558
- aaoms.org/images/uploads/pdfs/management_third_molar_supporting_information.pdf
- aaoms.org/images/uploads/pdfs/executive_summary.pdf
- ada.org/en/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_58
- mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/wisdom-teeth
