Many people have experienced the eruption of wisdom teeth but do not necessarily know what they are. Wisdom teeth are a set of third molars that appear at some point during young adulthood. If the wisdom teeth are left in the mouth, you may experience a variety of oral problems. Here are some things you should know about wisdom teeth.

Why Are They Referred to As Wisdom Teeth?

One of the most common questions is why are the teeth referred to as wisdom teeth. The teeth appear later in adolescence to early adulthood. Since they erupt later, they are termed wisdom teeth, with the assumption that you are now wiser than you were when your other teeth came in. The name is simply a fun play on words, albeit not necessarily a fun topic!

Why Can Wisdom Teeth be Problematic?

As humans evolved, the jawbone has decreased in size in comparison to your ancient ancestors. Because the jaw is now smaller, not all teeth can fit into the mouth without causing problems. As the wisdom teeth come in, the begin to crowd your other teeth already in place. Most of the time, there is no room for the wisdom teeth to come in completely due to the lack of space. They could also not come in at all, be blocked by your other teeth, and remain inside the jaw. This can cause pain and dislocation of your other teeth.

While not everyone will experience problems with their wisdom teeth right away, they can cause problems to surface later on. In addition to causing pain and crowding of your teeth, the wisdom teeth can also wrap around the nerves in your mouth. Also, due to the location of the wisdom teeth, they can be difficult to clean properly and result in decay.

Other issues that can occur by not removing the wisdom teeth include gum disease, cyst development, and decay of other teeth near the wisdom teeth. The wisdom teeth can also become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to a host of health problems, including an infection of your bloodstream. A cyst filled with fluid can damage the jawbone as well as other nerves in that area.

If your wisdom teeth are giving you problems or causing pain, you should schedule an appointment with an oral surgeon right away. The sooner you get the teeth removed, the healthier your mouth will be.