During young adulthood, many people grow a third set of molars. These extra molars are commonly known as wisdom teeth. While they were once essential for human survival, they are no longer necessary in our modern world. Sometimes, these molars can cause complications leading to their removal, which is why wisdom teeth removal is such a popular and normal procedure.
How Many Wisdom Teeth Do People Have?
At the dental office of your trusted oral surgeon in Tarzana, we have a specialized wisdom teeth removal & extraction service to help young adult patients in pain. Using our cutting-edge tools and practices, we can identify whether your wisdom teeth will cause complications for you later in life. We can answer your questions such as, “Why do wisdom teeth cause pain?”, “How many wisdom teeth do people have?”, and “What is the best way to remove wisdom teeth?” Read on to find out more about wisdom teeth and schedule an appointment with us if your mouth is causing you problems.
How Many People Get Wisdom Teeth, and How Many Do They Get?
All the teeth a person will ever get are actually present at birth – they’re just hiding inside of the skull. As humans grow, teeth descend and drop down. The first set of teeth, the baby teeth, fall out quickly. Then the second set of teeth comes in. Finally, during young adulthood, the wisdom teeth descend. The average number of wisdom teeth that a person can have is four. However, many wisdom teeth stay hidden under the gums, with one or two extra teeth refusing to erupt.
What Are the Health Problems Caused by Wisdom Teeth?
In many cases, wisdom teeth end up causing a number of oral health issues. Wisdom teeth that stay in the gums and don’t ever burst through are known as impacted wisdom teeth, and they tend to lead to oral health issues.
Wisdom teeth cause problems such as:
- Infections
- Cysts
- Overcrowding of teeth
- Trapped teeth
- Gum disease
It is recommended that wisdom teeth get removed as quickly as possible, especially if they have not fully emerged.
When Should the Wisdom Teeth Be Removed?
Wisdom teeth should be removed before they have grown into their fully-formed roots. That way, the extraction process is a lot easier – and a lot less painful. Mayo Clinic recommends removing wisdom teeth at a young age, to wipe out any chances of other problems arising. Wisdom teeth removal is an absolutely necessary procedure when the patient is experiencing pain, damage, tooth decay, or cysts.
When Are Wisdom Teeth Useful?
Wisdom teeth are sometimes valuable to the mouth when they have properly grown in. But unless they are perfectly aligned, they can be more problematic than helpful. In the early days of human development, wisdom teeth were necessary to grind down raw foods. They helped early humans eat stalks, grains, meat, and bones. But with the advent of modern technology and food practices, these teeth have become altogether useless. We no longer need to rely on a third set of molars since we have cooking to soften our food and utensils to cut our food up for us.
Currently, research is being done into the modern usefulness of wisdom teeth. For example, it was recently found out that wisdom teeth produce stem cells, which can help with medical research. However, they are largely not used in the mouth anymore and tend to cause complications with your already existing teeth. That’s why our professionals at Smile Specialists CA make it easy to get your wisdom teeth extracted.
Schedule Your Tooth Extraction Appointment Today
Even if you feel no pain and see virtually no evidence of having wisdom teeth, it is still important to see whether they are affecting your mouth. Our friendly staff members and certified dentists can help assess the state of your wisdom teeth. Then, we can make an informed decision about whether surgical extraction is necessary. For more information, contact us online or give us a call to schedule an appointment. We will help you find out whether or not wisdom teeth removal in Woodland Hills is right for you!