An adult has 32 teeth, but not all appear in childhood. Four of them erupt no earlier than 17 years. Often this process is accompanied by severe pain. But many do not notice it and do not even know where the wisdom tooth is. These last molars, which look like the neighboring teeth, actually have some features.
Name Explanation
Even those people who know well where the wisdom tooth is often do not understand why it is called that. It is believed that this is due to the fact that it appears at an age when a person already has some worldly wisdom. They are cut differently for each person, which confirms this theory. Usually this happens at 17-20 years old, but they can appear at 30 or even 40 years old.
In ancient times, it was believed that these teeth grow only in those who have already found the meaning of life and have reached psychological maturity. Therefore, in folk medicine, it was believed that they should not be removed.
Where ishuman wisdom tooth
A photo of a he althy jaw of an adult shows that these molars look no different from neighboring teeth. They are located at the very end of the dentition and are often called "eights" among dentists. These are the same molars with a large chewing surface, like the sixth and seventh.
This is how all teeth are numbered: on each jaw from the middle there are 8 teeth. It turns out that you can easily find out how many wisdom teeth an adult should have. One on the upper and lower jaw on each side - a total of four. If one of them is missing, it means that it has not yet erupted or there are some problems in its development. Sometimes a person does not even have the rudiments of one or more of these molars. This may be due to hereditary predisposition or peculiarities in the development of the jaws.
It is quite difficult to determine where the wisdom tooth is on your own. Photos of the jaw, which can be found in the article, show that it is located on the very edge. But it is difficult to see it in the mirror, and it is almost impossible to feel it with your tongue. Therefore, problems can only be avoided with regular visits to the dentist.
The structure of the wisdom tooth
All human teeth differ from each other in structure and function. In front are single-rooted teeth - incisors and canines. They are designed for biting food. On the sides - premolars and molars with wide chewing surfaces. They are mostly multi-rooted. So is the wisdom tooth. It refers tomolars, and its structure does not differ externally from other similar teeth.
The differences are in the features of the roots. They can be from 2 to 5, which is not typical for other molars. If one root of the wisdom tooth is found during removal, then they have grown together, which happens quite often.
Its Features
In the past, people did not even think about where a person's wisdom tooth is. He was one of 32 teeth and performed the same functions as the others. Then chewing food required a lot of effort, so he actively participated in that process. But over time, the food became softer, and the eighth molars began to be considered relics of the past. Therefore, they often cause serious problems, due to which they have to be removed.
But many dentists note that pathologies arise due to the fact that the jaw of a modern person has decreased, because he has to chew less hard food, which has become softer due to heat treatment. And knowing where the wisdom tooth is, you can understand that it often simply does not have room for teething.
Usually, by the age of 12, a person has already had all 28 molars. And eights at this age are just being formed. They begin to erupt no earlier than 17 years. This process can take a very long time, alternately slowing down, then accelerating. Even after this tooth has fully erupted, its roots continue to form for several more years. It turns out that it grows for about 10 years, and sometimes more.
Another feature of the figure eight is that it appears without previous milk teeth. Therefore, he has to break through the bones of the jaw on his own. Because of this, often at the place where the wisdom tooth erupts, there is severe pain and inflammation.
Wisdom tooth eruption
Almost all teeth appear in a person in childhood. Parents of babies know what problems this process can be accompanied by. And knowing where the wisdom tooth is located, a person can take action when redness and itching of the gums appear in this place. It is better to consult a dentist in time and prevent complications. And the process of eruption of these molars is very often accompanied by pain. In severe cases, severe inflammation may occur.
Problems with teething
If a person has formed all four rudiments of eighth molars, this does not mean that they will all erupt. They can remain in the thickness of the jaw for various reasons. At the same time, dentists distinguish several varieties of this pathology.
Impacted wisdom teeth are the most common. This happens when it does not appear completely, part of it is covered by the jaw bone or gum. The reasons for this pathology may be its incorrect position, when the direction of its growth rests on the adjacent teeth or cheek. Sometimes he also does not have enough space in the dentition. Despite the fact that it is not visible, it is still a full-fledged tooth, subject to the same diseases as the rest.
With prolonged eruption, when for severalmonths, or even years, the gum is injured, pericoronitis develops - inflammation of the mucosa.
If the figure eight begins to grow, but not up as it should, but to the side, the following pathologies may occur:
- when it rests against an adjacent tooth, it causes its destruction, the development of caries or periodontitis;
- if the figure eight grows towards the cheek, a seal forms on the mucous membrane, which can develop into a cancerous tumor;
- when growing back, the tooth must be removed, otherwise serious complications may develop due to the formation of a hood from the gums and its inflammation;
- if it touches the tongue, it causes injury and inflammation.
Diseases of these teeth
Features of the arrangement of eights, lack of space in the dentition, as well as chronic calcium deficiency, characteristic of modern people, leads to the appearance of many pathologies in the development of these teeth. They are most susceptible to these diseases:
- as a result of the difficulty of cleaning them, tartar builds up more often;
- for the same reason, they are prone to caries, which can appear immediately after eruption;
- if caries is not treated in time, pulpitis or periodontitis develops;
- as a result of the fact that the wisdom tooth has to break through the strong gum tissue, severe inflammation often occurs, accompanied by general intoxication, weakness, fever;
- if the upper tooth is destroyed, it can infect the maxillary cavity, whichwill lead to the development of sinusitis;
- pericoronitis is a strong inflammatory process of the soft tissues of the mucosa.
Should I remove them
Do modern people need wisdom teeth? This question interests many, especially those who are faced with their pathologies. They believe that it is worth removing these molars as soon as they erupt, because they can easily be dispensed with. The same opinion exists among foreign dentists. They try to remove wisdom teeth as soon as any problems appear. But there is another point of view. Russian doctors are trying to treat the pathologies of these teeth, removing them only if necessary:
- if they are incorrectly positioned and grow to the side;
- if they caused inflammation or damage to surrounding tissues;
- when it is impossible to treat caries due to curved roots or difficulties in accessing them;
- if a fistula, abscess or cyst has appeared;
- when pericoronitis or osteomyelitis develops.
How wisdom teeth are removed
This procedure is usually more difficult than removing other teeth. This state is explained by the deep location of the figure eight. It is also difficult to pull on a molar often due to the fact that it has multiple roots and they can be curved, often even hooked. This is especially dangerous when the figure eight is located in the upper jaw. Roots can damage the maxillary cavity when removed.
Wisdom tooth extraction is mandatoryanesthesia. Modern drugs make this process completely painless. Pain may appear later, after the medication wears off, especially if the procedure was difficult. It can last for several days, and even be accompanied by an increase in temperature. Complete healing of the socket usually occurs after a few months, although this place is painful for no more than 2 weeks.
When not to delete them
But it is not always necessary to solve the problems that have arisen in this way. Doctors try to cure this molar if there are no teeth next to it. Then a free-standing wisdom tooth will be the basis for prosthetics. If it is just erupting, it can gradually move and take the place of the missing tooth.
There are also contraindications for which it is worth refusing to remove completely or temporarily:
- strong inflammatory process in the oral cavity;
- acute infectious diseases;
- pathology of the cardiovascular system;
- mental illness.
How to relieve pain
The pain of teething wisdom teeth is usually very severe. The pain can spread to the entire jaw, as in the process of growth it shifts adjacent teeth, causing compression of the nerve endings. This is due to the fact that the figure eight does not have enough space, it is forced to erupt by shifting adjacent teeth. In addition, it breaks through the bone tissue of the jaw and dense gums. With severe pain, it is recommended to take a tablet of "Analgin" or "Ketorol". Can't warm upa sore spot or putting various medicines on the gum, especially if there is an inflammatory process.
You can rinse your mouth with a solution of s alt and soda, but it should be cool. You can also use decoctions of sage, chamomile, lemon balm or oak bark for this. In the presence of inflammation, the gums can be lubricated with sea buckthorn oil. To alleviate the condition when teething a wisdom tooth, if this process is not accompanied by complications, it is recommended to use the following solution: add a tablespoon of sea s alt, 10 g of camphor alcohol and 100 ml of ammonia to a liter of cool water. A cotton swab dipped in this solution is applied to the gum for 10 minutes.
If a person had to find out where the wisdom tooth is, according to the painful symptoms of teething, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. Then complications can be avoided.
