Dentist Tracy - Do We Really Need Wisdom Teeth - Smiles by Design in Livermore

We all have wisdom teeth and most of us will have them removed at some point. This raises the question of why we have wisdom teeth in the first place



A grown individual who has all of his teeth is expected to have thirty-two teeth on both the upper and lower jaw. He will have eight incisors, four canines, eight bicuspids and twelve molars. Every quadrant will have three sets of molars, with the last or third molar being referred to as the wisdom teeth because they come when an individual is supposed wise enough, between 17 up to 21 years old. Due to this, the space is usually not enough to accommodate the teeth, so the wisdom teeth usually gets impacted or embedded beneath bone, soft tissue and teeth.

The surgery

Odontectomy is the surgical removal of the wisdom teeth. When the third molars are found to be impacted, a surgical removal of the teeth should be done. This procedure is carried out by a dental surgeon or a general dentist; and it requires the surgical removal of the third molar which involves the incision of soft tissue to provide access, the drilling of the bone and the sectioning of the tooth.

A good number of patients go through this kind of surgery because most of the time, they come with excruciating pain symptoms. The position that the tooth assumes in the mouth can put pressure on the adjacent tooth, bone structure and gum tissue, so there is pain, discomfort and other symptoms to deal with.

The function of the wisdom teeth

Every tooth in the mouth holds a specific purpose. The incisors at the front are for biting and slicing, and they are anatomically sharp to do the job effectively. The cuspids or canines aid the incisors, with its biting and most especially with its esthetic function, because the canine maintain the natural bulk that appears along the nasolabial folds on either side of the face. The biscuspids aid the canines and the molars. The molars function to hold the bite offering perfect facial integrity; and they are also the biting surfaces of the mouth that aids in chewing or masticating food.

The third molars should hold the same function as the other two molars in the mouth. Despite its position at the end of the mouth, it proves vital for mastication, occlusion and facial integrity. When properly positioned and in an upright position, it will serve the same function and purpose as an ordinary molar, but when it is embedded within the bone and gum tissue, it cannot fulfil what it is supposed to do, so it does not really need to be in your mouth and you should not feel bad about having them removed. It is the last tooth in the mouth and it more or less supports the function of the first two molars, so they can easily function without the third molars.

source: http://www.teethcenter.com/do-we-really-need-wisdom-teeth/
by Teeth Center Staff

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