Wisdom
Teeth
Wisdom
teeth, also called third molars, are the last molars
in your mouth to develop. They generally erupt around
age 18, the so-called age of wisdom. Most people lack
the necessary space to allow the wisdom teeth to properly
erupt and in these instances wisdom teeth become impacted
(trapped under the gum tissue and in bone).
Most dentists will evaluate your wisdom teeth radiographically
around age 16. Depending on the development of these
teeth and the anticipated lack of space, he/she will
refer you to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon for consult
and removal between 16 and 21 years of age. Around this
time the roots are not completely developed and the
jawbone isn’t as dense, facilitating easier removal
with less risks. As a person gets older the teeth become
more anchored in the denser jawbone making extraction
more difficult.
