Tag Archives: wisdom teeth surgery

Why are they called “wisdom” teeth?

Tuesday, 18 October 2022 10:50

A tooth holding a degree and wearing a graduation cap.

Are you or a child experiencing wisdom tooth pain? This is the result of your final four molars trying to squeeze into a tight space already occupied by neighboring teeth. Ocoee Oral Surgery offers Wisdom Teeth Removal in Cleveland TN to alleviate that discomfort with the help of highly-rated and experienced oral surgeons. But if these teeth are notorious for the pain they cause, and their necessary removal, then why are they called “wisdom” teeth?

Wisdom Hurts

There is no association between the teeth themselves and wisdom, of course. If there was, we would be more hesitant to remove them! No, the molars located the farthest back in the jaw are known in dentistry as third molars, but the public tends to refer to them by their nickname instead.

The name comes from the age when wisdom teeth tend to emerge. These are the last teeth to come in. While the rest of the teeth come in during childhood, wisdom teeth tend to break the surface anywhere from age 14 to 25. Since a person is older and presumably wiser when these teeth try to grow in, they were associated with wisdom gained from age.

Teeth Have History

Our jawbones have reduced in size since the time when wisdom teeth were functional for our ancestors. In modern times, we no longer have a need for wisdom teeth and they tend to be impacted. Because of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with their growth, they are removed.

Aristotle wrote about these teeth as early as fourth century BC in his History of Animals. There he states, “The last teeth to come in man are molars called ‘wisdom-teeth,’ which come at the age of twenty years, in the case of both sexes.”

Outstaying Their Welcome

Wisdom teeth don’t relate to wisdom, apart from people being wiser when these teeth grow in than when the growth of childhood counterparts takes place. Nonetheless, the name of these back molars seems to have lasted longer than the necessity of “wisdom” teeth themselves.

Our Cleveland oral surgery team is eager to assist with your wisdom teeth removal and help you to create a shining smile. Call (423) 479-8544 or email us at [email protected] to begin the process of alleviating wisdom tooth pain.

Wisdom Teeth Removal– Is it a Must?

Tuesday, 10 March 2020 17:39

Wisdom teeth removal oral surgery is necessary often for a lot of reasons like overcrowding, pain, and difficulty chewing.

Wisdom teeth removal surgery is extremely common in teens and young adults. Although it’s an oral surgery procedure that is performed frequently– is it always absolutely necessary? Every case if different and unique, of course, but here are a few reasons extracting wisdom teeth is recommended and beneficial for your overall dental health.

1- Discomfort and Gum Problems

Wisdom teeth can cause gum problems. When wisdom teeth are impacted, they can result in pain and swelling that is mitigated with extraction. Also, wisdom teeth that have only partially erupted through the gum tissue are especially susceptible to infection, which can cause a whole host of other problems.

2- Teeth Crowding

Most of us don’t have room in our mouths to accommodate these extra molar teeth. Sometimes when wisdom teeth begin to come in, they cause crowding and shifting of your other teeth, which can be problematic for obvious reasons. Incoming wisdom teeth can also create pockets in the gums that can become traps for bacteria which can lead to cavities and other problems that will be painful and costly. Wisdom teeth removal can help prevent this crowding and the other issues that often follow.

3- Difficulty Chewing

Sometimes when wisdom teeth begin to come in, their positioning can cause pain and difficulty chewing in certain dental patients. In some cases, they can cause damage to soft tissues in the mouth, that results in pain and hindered jaw function. This scenario would provide great grounds for having the oral surgery.

4- Tooth Alignment

As mentioned before, erupting wisdom teeth, particularly in patients who have small mouths or lack adequate room to accommodate more molars, can cause crowding and affect tooth alignment. These incoming wisdom teeth can press against other teeth, consequently undoing the work of braces, bridges, crowns, and other prior dental work. Not only can this result in moved and crooked teeth, but also can create more issues like traps for food and bacteria, often resulting in decay, cavities, and more dental work.

Wisdom Teeth Case by Case

All this said, it is possible that a patient has adequate space for wisdom teeth. As long as they’ve fully broken through, and aren’t causing crowding or discomfort, your oral surgeon or dentist may recommend you leave them alone. If you are experiencing any discomfort associated with wisdom teeth, give our staff at Ocoee Oral Surgery a call. We can help!

Wisdom Teeth Coming In?

Tuesday, 01 October 2019 20:13

Even if you have impacted wisdom teeth, wisdom teeth extraction is something you should talk with your dentist about.

Things You Never Knew about Wisdom Teeth

Maybe your wisdom teeth are coming in, or maybe you’ve already been through the process of wisdom tooth extraction– but either way, there are probably some interesting facts about wisdom teeth you never knew! We’ll explore a few of the most entertaining, for kicks.

1) Number of Wisdom Teeth Varies Person To Person

As strange as it may be, the number of wisdom teeth each person has varies. Some folks have all four, and some have none at all. Most often, adults have four wisdom teeth, one in each quadrant of the mouth, but in some rare cases, people even have more than four. In the case of Hyperdontia, the human mouth can host supernumerary teeth, or teeth that exist in addition to the regular line up. (Do not Google this if you’re squeamish.)

2) Number of Roots the Teeth Have Varies

Another thing that varies case to case is the number of roots each wisdom tooth has. Just like a fingerprint, everyone’s teeth are unique. Though wisdom teeth generally have two or three roots, they can have more. The roots of the teeth form first, then pushing the bud of each tooth through the gums as they erupt. Some wisdom teeth have as many as five roots.

3) Wisdom Teeth Can Come In Any Time

Though most people’s wisdom teeth come in around their late teens or early twenties, these crazy little third-molars can actually make their appearance at any time. In some cases, the wisdom teeth are impacted, or they don’t grow in at all, but you’ll still want to discuss removal with your dentist, even so. According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest person to grow a wisdom tooth was almost 95 years old! His record-shattering tooth was detected during a regular dental exam.

4) They’re Called “Love Teeth” In Korean

Fun fact: the Korean word for wisdom teeth translates more closely to “love teeth.” The reason for this is that by the time your wisdom teeth emerge, you are likely to have experienced your first crush or your first love. Kinda precious, right? We certainly think so.

5) Wisdom Teeth Don’t Serve Any Purpose

It’s interesting that our wisdom teeth don’t serve a purpose anymore, and haven’t for thousands and thousands of years. Our ancestors ate raw meat, roots and other foraged foods, and they needed the wisdom teeth to adequately masticate the types of things that comprised their diets. These teeth aren’t just pointless though, they are also pretty precarious. They have the potential to cause a lot of pain and ongoing damage if left neglected. If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth examined or extracted, you ought to consider a conversation about it. Feel free to reach out to us at Ocoee Oral Surgery with any concerns or questions you may have. We are the Chattanooga area wisdom teeth experts.

A Closer Look at Wisdom Teeth Removal Cleveland TN

Friday, 12 October 2018 17:35

Wisdom Teeth Removal Cleveland TN

When do wisdom teeth come in?

Around age 17, a third set of molars start to grow in the back of the mouth. This can happen as late as the mid-20s and is usually detected on an X-ray of the mouth. Given that the jaw isn’t big enough to accommodate these extra teeth, most people elect to have them removed. In some cases, they may be so far back in the mouth that they do not come in normally and become trapped in the gums or jawbone, causing tremendous pain. They may also come in at the wrong angle, affecting your other teeth. People with cavities or gum disease/infection need to have these wisdom teeth taken out. About 90% of people have at least one wisdom tooth that is impacted and needs to be removed. Either way, they need to be tracked by your dentist.