Dental health means having a proper education about how teeth work behind the scenes. Not a few people are surprised to know a number of facts about wisdom teeth, for instance. Here are some of them:
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| Image source: youtube.com |
- Wisdom teeth are called such because they grow by the age of “wisdom”, during which most agree that a person forms an independent identity. Specifically, this is in the age of 17 to 25 years.
- Normally, wisdom teeth can grow in each of the four quadrants, but there may be times when a person grows more than four wisdom teeth in his lifetime. These are called supernumerary teeth.
- Wisdom teeth are not problematic teeth per se. However, these do cause problems for other teeth as they develop. This is when they are considered impacted, and so they need to be removed.
- Not everybody grows wisdom teeth. A congenital condition called agenesis of the teeth, which is attributed to a particular gene, has been observed in nearly 100% of Mexicans. This is technically an indication of underdevelopment.
- There is a huge risk in not having an impacted wisdom tooth removed. The crown of an impacted wisdom tooth is associated with a jaw cyst. When left untreated, a cyst can destroy the bone around it.
- Not all wisdom teeth have to be removed. However, there is already an existing technology that can be used to predict whether or not a wisdom tooth will cause harm in the future. The best advice to be sought still comes from the world’s most advanced practitioners in dentistry.
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| Image source: youtube.com |
John Pasqual D.M.D., P.A. is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Follow this blog for the latest in dental surgery.
