A person usually has 28 to 32 teeth. By the age of 30, some additionally grow wisdom teeth. If you are among them and doubt whether it is necessary to remove the "eight" - do not rush to make a decision. The fact is that it can play both a negative and a positive role. We will give all the "pros" and "cons" for parting with the "witness of wisdom." You will learn how it can be useful and when you can safely get rid of it.

What is the importance of a wisdom tooth

The extra molar practically does not perform any functions - it does not participate much in the chewing process, moreover, it very often causes severe pain. Its uselessness is due to the fact that it is located at the very edge of the gum. Food does not fall on it during the meal and therefore it is never used. At the same time, food remains accumulate between it and the adjacent tooth, which, if not removed in time, begin to rot and spoil the structure of the molars.

The main teeth successfully cope with the function of chewing.

It is also interesting that the indigenous people of North America and Eastern Europe have a belief that with the appearance of an extra molar, a person becomes wise and reaches his maturity. It is believed that after this, the deceased ancestors begin to patronize him. After its removal, the person allegedly becomes weak and runs the risk of getting into trouble, because he has a weakened aura.

Should wisdom teeth be removed?

Here are the main reasons why it is undesirable to do this. Since the "eight" can:

• serve as a support for bridge prosthetics;
• prevent loosening of other teeth in the row;
• with age, after the loss of the main molars, partially participate in the chewing process.

It is possible to talk about the benefits of the "eight" only if it does not cause tangible discomfort and does not lead to complications (the formation of a malocclusion).

Most often, an extra molar gives a lot of problems to its owner and requires removal.

Dentists advise getting rid of the "eight" when it is problematic (carious, pulpitis or other diseases occur). In most cases, her condition is worse than satisfactory. In this case, because of it, the “neighbors” may also deteriorate. Filling canals is difficult because they are very curved and access to the right place is limited by the gum. Also, the eighth molar is quite complex in structure.

Treatment of caries makes sense only in the early stages, and the most common methods are used for it. When the process is neglected, the removal of a wisdom tooth is recommended. If the doctor takes up the treatment and he fails to seal the canals to the end, the inflammation will cover a wider space. This can create terrible pain, form a cyst and fistula.

It is also unpleasant that the treatment of the eight takes a long time, sometimes it takes 2-3 months. It is also a rather expensive undertaking, which does not guarantee that in the future it will not be necessary to resort to deletion.

It is also desirable to get rid of a wisdom tooth in cases where it:

• causes severe pain, whether due to eruption or due to deep caries;
• did not fully break out;
• led to malocclusion, which causes discomfort and does not look aesthetically pleasing;
• damaged the gums and led to their bleeding;
• has an unusual location in the oral cavity (rests on the "neighbors").

Tooth extraction in dentistry is also recommended in order to prevent the accumulation of food debris in the gum pocket, the development of gingivitis and the appearance of bad breath.

Obviously, the owners of the "eight" have a hard time. Opportunities for its treatment exist, but it is much easier to remove the problematic molar and live peacefully. Specialists of the dental clinic "Kariesu.net" can help to do this painlessly.

”, and in the scientific language of dentists, “third molars” or “eights” significantly add to our troubles - rarely anyone can boast of trouble-free eruption and excellent health of these teeth. Why is this happening? What to do with these teeth - treat or remove, as doctors often advise?

Antonina Kamyshenkova/ Health-Info

Adults, as we know, have 32 teeth, but only 28 teeth take an active part in chewing food, that is, all but four wisdom teeth, which are located at the very edge of the jaw (both upper and lower). They appear later than the others, from about 16 to 25 years old, and their name, apparently, symbolizes the entry of a person into adulthood, although, as we know, the concept of “adult” is not at all identical to the concept of “smart” and even more so “wise”. But, one way or another, these teeth begin to erupt far from a tender age, and this eruption sometimes “hangs” for a couple of years, providing a person with a variety of problems, which we will discuss below. And by the way, why do you need the birth of these teeth?

Here, just with the function of these teeth, much is unclear. In fact, wisdom teeth can be considered a kind of vestige, because they do not participate in any way in grinding food. Today, about half of the world's population no longer has these teeth, and this evokes the idea that in the distant or near future, none of us will have them at all.

Now the following hypothesis dominates: once upon a time, a person needed all 32 strong and healthy teeth to chew hard and tough food. Today, the need for this has disappeared, we began to consume refined and processed foods that are easy to chew even with 28 teeth. At the same time, the jaw itself atrophied somewhat, that is, it decreased, but the size of the teeth remained the same. So, for our long-suffering third molars there is really no place, no, in fact, work. Therefore, we have a whole list of problems with them.

• Often they grow crooked or even across the jaw.
• They cut through for a very long time, and while they “sit” under the gum, they already have time to get initial caries.
• The gum around them swells and hurts, which often requires the help of a surgeon.
• The development of caries, even if these teeth came out in a normal state, is facilitated by their distant location - they do not always get a quality cleaning.
• Often caries spreads to the adjacent molar due to the fact that the space between these teeth is also difficult to clean.
• Carious wisdom teeth are difficult to treat again because of their location, moreover, carious processes in them develop faster. This is how imperfect treatment or ignoring the symptoms of caries quickly lead to pulpitis - inflammation of the dental nerve.
• Poor treatment of pulpitis, when it is not completely cured, and the tooth is sealed, the patient will face new problems, for example, periodontitis - the root shell of the tooth and adjacent tissues.
• If the teeth are healthy, but they just erupt for a long time, there is also little good. This means the accumulation of plaque and food debris in the gum pocket, which in turn provokes halitosis (bad breath) and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis).
• Even worse, if the tooth did not erupt completely, that is, it crawled out halfway and does not want to grow further. Again, plaque accumulates between the swollen gum and the tooth, which provokes - the "hood" of the gum in which the tooth sits. If the process is ignored, it entails the spread of inflammation to the periosteum of the jaw (), in rare cases, to the bone itself (osteomyelitis).
• Since there is not enough space for the wisdom tooth, it puts pressure on the adjacent molar, destroying its enamel.
• A wisdom tooth that does not erupt for a long time can cause pain along the trigeminal nerve, radiating to the ear, neck, and throat.

As you can see, the outlook is generally bleak. And that is why, when complaints arise on the G-8 (and they occur in 80% of people), doctors prefer to remove a wisdom tooth, rather than waste time on its treatment. This is the most radical way to get rid of current and future problems with them.

A few words in defense of the "eights"

As we can see, the cons and side effects of teething wisdom belong to the most physical sphere: we do not use them, and they give us a lot of trouble. But there is another point of view that illuminates this issue from the point of view of metaphysical medicine. And the most striking theory in defense of wisdom teeth belongs to Reinhold Voll, a German doctor, the founder of a treatment method based on Chinese and the effects of electrical impulse devices. As we know, acupuncture is based on the position that there are 12 energy meridians in the human body, each of which connects many organs and systems. Just according to Voll, wisdom teeth cannot be removed in any way, because they are directly related to the human psyche, as each specific tooth is connected to a specific organ. This is how it turns out that tooth diseases are a signal about the disease of the organ with which it is associated. It is possible that the diseases of the "eights" signal our psycho-emotional problems, just that we, not knowing this, go and tear them out? Who knows...it's food for thought anyway.

By the way, indirect evidence that not everything is so easy with wisdom teeth can be obtained if we turn to the beliefs of different peoples. Both the Slavs, and the Germans, and the North American Indians have beliefs that with the appearance of these teeth, a person reaches his spiritual maturity and wisdom, and therefore acquires the protection of his ancestors - the guardians of the family. With the removal of each tooth, this patronage weakens, and a person without a single wisdom tooth was considered “open to all winds” and misfortunes, because there was no one to protect him.

The most pragmatic and simple argument “for” can be considered that in old age, when our teeth collapse one after another, sometimes miraculously preserved “eight”, this is the very thing on which the entire dental bridge will rest.

In any case, you should not remove these teeth if they do not bother you. Yes, it does happen! But if it has become completely impossible to save them and you spend a third of your life at the dentist, you should probably part with them. Maybe the ancestors will be offended, but what to do ...

Wisdom teeth do not carry a functional load, and their removal has no aesthetic consequences. Related to this are numerous disputes among dentists about whether it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth immediately after eruption or whether it is better to treat them the same way as others - to pull them out only in case of emergency.

The safest and most rational dental approach is to monitor the condition of the third molar from the moment of eruption. The initial x-ray will allow the doctor to assess the developmental features of the eighth tooth, and scheduled visits to the dentist 2 times a year will allow you to identify the problem in time and, if necessary, remove the problematic rudiment.

Does a person need wisdom teeth, or is it better to remove them

In Western dental practice, it is customary to remove eights immediately after eruption. But third molars do not always hurt or become a source of problems, so deciding whether to remove wisdom teeth if they do not hurt or bother you can only be done by discussing all the nuances with your doctor. Domestic dentistry insists that there must be grounds for the removal of any tooth, including the figure eight. Otherwise, the pain, costs and consequences of removal may not be justified.

The argument in favor of removing the eights immediately after these teeth have erupted is the lack of functional load, as well as the potentially high risk of developing caries and infection of neighboring molars.

In the event that the molar develops normally, occupies an anatomically correct position, does not bother a person and is not affected by caries, it is not advisable to pull it out in order to avoid hypothetical problems in the future.

Why it is not necessary to remove a correctly erupted wisdom tooth:

• Due to the peculiarities of the structure of wisdom teeth, their removal is a complex surgical operation and can lead to unpleasant consequences and complications.
• Wisdom teeth are needed for prosthetics, they are a good basis for installing a number of dentures that are attached to natural teeth. Such prosthetics are cheaper than implants, so keeping figure eights may be useful in the future.
• The figure eight restrains and slows down the loosening of adjacent teeth, and in their absence, takes over the chewing function.

When is a healthy wisdom tooth removed?

If an abnormal position of the rudiment is detected, the doctor may recommend removing the figure eight even if the tooth itself is completely healthy. Extraction is done in the presence of direct indications, which are:

• Lack of space in the dentition. If, during the eruption of eights, they do not have enough space in the jaw row, they shift neighboring molars to the center. This leads to crowding, deformation and displacement of the teeth. The consequence may be a violation of the bite.
• Incorrect anatomical position in a row. Sometimes a tooth erupts with an inclination towards the cheek, tongue, throat. In this position, the mucous membranes of the oral cavity are constantly injured, irritation occurs, and the patient cannot brush his teeth with high quality. Chronically non-healing wounds turn into ulcers.
• Destruction of an adjacent molar. An incorrectly positioned third molar can rest against the roots or crown of an adjacent molar, under constant pressure it gradually collapses and becomes inflamed.
• Retention (eruption delay). The formed tooth is completely hidden in the gum and occupies an abnormal position inside. Pathology is fraught with infringement of the trigeminal nerve.
• Installing a bracket system to correct an overbite. Freeing up space after the figure eights are removed helps to return the dentition to the correct position. Whether it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth before orthodontic treatment, or this should not be done, the doctor will be able to determine only after the examination.

Indications for the removal of a problematic wisdom tooth

The bone tissue of the extreme molars is no different from the tissues of other molars, so wisdom teeth are also subject to treatment. The difficulty lies in the fact that the eights have a more complex structure, often burdened with multiple roots, larger sizes and an unfavorable location for dental manipulations. Diseases in the initial stages in most cases can be stopped, but the treatment of advanced forms of the disease is difficult.

The treatment of eights takes longer than the treatment of other teeth, in difficult cases it can last up to three months.

The greatest difficulty is the treatment of pulpitis and periodontitis, which requires root canal treatment. In diseases of an inflammatory nature, dentists more often decide to pull out a wisdom tooth than to try to cure it. The main indications for the extraction of the figure eight are:

• extensive carious lesion with significant destruction of the dental crown;
• periodontal inflammation - pericoronitis, pulpitis, periodontitis against the background of canal obstruction;
• cyst;
• development of neoplasms;
• destruction of bone tissue;
• softening of the root system;
• fracture;
• root bifurcation disorder;
• sinusitis;
• sepsis;
• osteitis of the jaw;
• horizontal position of the inflamed eight.

extensive caries

The inaccessibility of the third molars makes it difficult to complete hygiene. It is difficult to thoroughly clean them with a regular toothbrush, which results in stagnation of food particles and the development of pathogenic microflora. The insidiousness of caries in figure eights lies in the fact that it is rarely possible to diagnose it at the initial stage of the disease. It often develops from the inside, and visually the tooth looks completely healthy for a long time.

When the “wise” tooth is tilted, additional carious foci appear in the gaps between it and the adjacent molar, and the infection spreads even faster. Whether it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth affected by caries, or whether they can be cured, the doctor decides based on the degree of destruction of dental tissue, the condition of the canals and the possibility of full access.

pericoronitis

When a wisdom tooth erupts, a kind of hood of gum tissue often forms over it. As a result, it is difficult to clean the molar, since it is impossible to clean the space between the mucous membrane and the tooth with a toothbrush. To qualitatively clean the space under the hood, you need to resort to rinsing or using special devices.

Due to poor hygiene, plaque forms on the molar, which becomes a breeding ground for pathogens. This can lead to pericoronitis - purulent inflammation of the mucous membranes. Symptoms of the disease are swelling, discomfort when swallowing, the appearance of bad breath and severe pain.

To prevent the development of pericoronitis during the eruption of the figure eight, the overhanging hood is excised. If the inflammatory process has already begun, the hood must be removed surgically. After the operation, the oral cavity is sanitized and treated. If you do not clean the resulting cavity and start inflammation, phlegmon and abscess can develop - inflammatory processes that are dangerous for the whole body.

Cyst

At the roots of impacted wisdom teeth, one or more follicular cysts can form, which pose a serious health hazard. As they increase in size, they can cause more and more damage.

The growth of cystic formations is slow, but it is very dangerous - that is why it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth affected by cystic formations as soon as possible.

A complication of a follicular cyst can be:

• purulent sinusitis (when a cyst grows into the maxillary sinuses);
• development of perineuritis;
• chronic inflammation and suppuration;
• fistula;
• osteomyelitis.

The development of inflammatory processes in the pulp

In itself, inflammation in the pulp is not a reason for the removal of a wisdom tooth. It can be cured, but this can only be done on the condition that the figure eight stands correctly and has even channels. In case of obstruction of the channels, it will not work to leave the wisdom teeth - they must be pulled out.

Strongly curved channels will not allow you to get to problem areas and perform a complete cleansing of the pulp from infection. If the channels are not completely cleaned, the inflammatory process will resume and spread to the adjacent tissues - this is why the condition of the channels is a paramount issue when choosing between treatment and extraction.

Why remove impacted wisdom teeth

The extreme molars are characterized by the phenomenon of retention (eruption delay), in which not only a feeling of discomfort, typical for cutting gums, but also a constant throbbing pain, which increases when chewing and during a conversation, can occur. If on the x-ray the doctor sees a formed molar, the eruption of which has not yet occurred, he will decide on the need to remove the figure eight. To do this, he will need data on the condition of the molar and gums, the health of the patient. A comprehensive examination will help identify the potential threat of complications.

When the figure eight does not bother, the gum near it is not inflamed, the molar does not adversely affect the surrounding tissues and, presumably, will stand in a normal position, it is not necessary to remove the wisdom tooth. Doctors recommend observing it in dynamics, visiting dentistry every six months.

It is necessary to urgently “remove” an impacted molar when:

• the tooth and surrounding tissues hurt;
• there are acute and chronic inflammations;
• cyst develops.

Is it always possible to remove a wisdom tooth

Treatment of third molars is difficult and not always justified, but pulling out is not a panacea. It is associated with operational risks and consequences. In order to make an informed decision about whether it is necessary to remove the eights or whether they can be cured qualitatively, the doctor must take into account:

• degree of damage;
• the anatomical position of the tooth and the condition of the canals;
• the presence of an inflammatory process;
• the influence of the figure eight on neighboring teeth;
• history and health status.

Why leave a wisdom tooth

With dental diseases, wisdom teeth are not always recommended to be pulled out, in some cases it is better to choose treatment, even if it is very long and expensive. Treatment of the third molar is advisable if:

• Neighboring molars are missing or severely damaged, then the figure-eights become the only possible support for prosthetics. If they cannot be left, dentists consider the option of implantation and removable prosthetics.
• The figure eight is correctly located in the jaw row and, due to the presence of an antagonist, is involved in the chewing process. An antagonist is a tooth located symmetrically on the adjacent jaw. When one of the teeth of the antagonists is removed, the second one will gradually move forward and bend, therefore it is advisable to leave the tooth or to carry out the extraction of both molars.

Contraindications to the removal of eights

There are a number of indications in which you should not remove a wisdom tooth unless absolutely necessary - a rapidly spreading inflammatory process in an acute form that causes severe pain. This:

• Tooth growth in the zone of malignancy.
• Hypertension of the second and third degree. If surgery is unavoidable, it can be performed only after consultation with a cardiologist.
• History of infarction less than three months ago.
• Pregnancy. If there are indications for emergency extraction, before removing the wisdom tooth, the doctor must definitely take care of a suitable anesthesia that will not harm the child.

If the first unpleasant symptoms occur in the area of ​​​​eights, you should contact a dentist who can determine the source and cause of the pain, choose the best treatment tactics, determine whether it is necessary to leave the problem tooth or is it better to pull it out. A qualified doctor will explain why this or that decision is made, and will help you choose the best option for its implementation.

Wisdom tooth - from the name it blows something from the category of mysticism. But there is nothing mystical about them - they are just teeth that erupt much later than the others, and not in childhood. Dentists call them third molars and figure eights. In fact, this is a vestige inherited from our ancestors, whose jaws were noticeably wider.

There are many misconceptions associated with these teeth.

Myth 1. Wisdom teeth start cutting during adolescence.

As a rule, this is not the case: eruption of wisdom teeth begins most often at 18–25 years of age. Why? The fact is that these teeth, unlike the others, are not formed during fetal development, but at 3-5 years. If you take your child to a pediatric dentist during this period, he can even determine how many wisdom teeth he will have in the future.

At the same time, the formation of the coronal part of the eights occurs by about 12 years old (that is, when most children already have a change in the milk bite to a permanent one). However, the roots of wisdom teeth continue to form, and sometimes even after eruption.

At the same time, 10-15% of people do not have eights at all. These lucky ones never experience discomfort when they erupt and spend their entire lives with a set of 28 teeth. Moreover, different people can erupt a different number of wisdom teeth. That is why the presence of 28–32 teeth is considered the norm.

Myth 2. Any discomfort with the appearance of wisdom teeth must be endured.

For almost all people, this process is accompanied by discomfort, and rarely can anyone boast that they have not experienced any. This is due to the fact that the eights do not have dairy "predecessors".

Often there is a difficult eruption of the wisdom tooth due to various pathologies, and in this case, you need to consult a doctor. But how can an ordinary person distinguish between normal teething and difficult teething? After all, most often any appearance of the figure eight is accompanied by an increase in temperature by 1-2 degrees, pain in the jaw and when swallowing, inflammation of the gums and even submandibular lymph nodes.

If you have very acute pain in the gums and jaw, bleeding and pus from the gums, swollen cheeks, and lips and tongue are injured, then you do not need to endure this - you should immediately consult a doctor. Such symptoms indicate a pathological eruption of the figure eight.

In any case, only a dentist can determine whether normal or pathological wisdom tooth eruption occurs in your case. The sooner he identifies the problem, the easier it will be to solve it.

Myth 3. Wisdom teeth should always be removed, it is better as soon as they appear

Third molars or eights can be no different from ordinary teeth, do not interfere with chewing food, and generally do not manifest themselves in any way. But alas, pathologies of wisdom teeth are quite common, which is why certain measures have to be taken. If the tooth erupted normally, does not press or displace neighboring teeth, does not interfere with chewing food, then it can be used in the same way as all other teeth.

Still, there are pathologies in which the removal of wisdom teeth is necessary. There are three types in total.

Dystopia

Incorrect position relative to the entire dentition. Since such eights can cause harm to other teeth, the doctor almost always recommends their extraction. They can protrude forward or backward relative to the rest of the teeth, or even turn around their axis.

retention

Teeth hidden in the soft or bony tissues of the jaw. Retention can be complete or partial, that is, the tooth may not erupt completely or remain in a hidden position and also deviate back or forward. This is dangerous because pericoronoritis can develop during eruption - inflammation of the gums due to the accumulation of bacteria.

Mixed pathology

This is a combination of dystopia and retention. The tooth can be placed at an angle to the rest of the teeth, lie horizontally, or even turn upside down - its crown will be at the bottom and the root at the top. These are the most difficult cases that can provoke various types of purulent inflammatory processes: abscesses, osteomyelitis and phlegmon.

In all these cases, the wisdom tooth will have to be removed.

Myth 4. Wisdom teeth removal is always long, painful and scary.

The doctor chooses the method of tooth extraction depending on the problem with which you turned to him. At the same time, modern dentistry will always provide pain relief and try to minimize both pain and your discomfort.

Removing the figure eight does not always require complex manipulations: if the surgeon is not dealing with a dystopic, impacted tooth and not with a complex pathology, then forceps will be enough for him. In this case, you will be given an injection of painkillers, and then the doctor will remove the wisdom tooth. It lasts from one to several minutes.

After removal, you should not eat for two hours, do not eat hot during the day and do not touch the hole with your tongue. You need to chew on the opposite side, and rinse your mouth very carefully. Often, after the removal of wisdom teeth, swelling increases and edema occurs, and therefore the doctor prescribes drug therapy. Take the remedies prescribed by him, follow the recommendations for care, and then the unpleasant symptoms will disappear in 5-7 days.

But if your eight is dystopic, retinated, and so on, then it will take much more effort to get rid of it. To begin with, an x-ray is taken, the mouth is sanitized. Before removing an impacted tooth, vitamins and sedatives may be prescribed.

Then, after anesthesia, the doctor cuts and puts aside the soft tissues (in modern dentistry this is done with a laser), then cuts the bone with a drill to gain access to the tooth, and removes it from the gum in whole or in pieces. Then he returns the gum flap to its place, stitches and an anti-inflammatory bandage.

Recovery takes about two weeks. The doctor prescribes vitamins, anti-inflammatory and pain medications to reduce swelling, fever and pain. You also need to follow simple rules:

• half an hour do not remove the bandage;
• do not eat three hours after the operation;
• apply cold compresses for 1-2 days;
• refuse solid, spicy and hot food during the healing period;
• give up physical activity, visits to the pool and sauna;
• chew food on the other side of the mouth.

Myth 5. Wisdom teeth are never treated - they are removed immediately

Not always eights need to be removed immediately. They are quite treatable, and if the tooth is normally located, does not interfere with you in any way and does not harm neighboring teeth, then it can be saved. Although it is important to understand: such teeth are more susceptible, because they are located deep in the jaw and it is much more difficult to clean them qualitatively than other teeth. Sometimes the brush just can't fit into a tight space. Also, if part of the tooth remains under the gum, then a gingival hood is formed, where food particles fall, which increases the destruction of the tooth.

Another feature of wisdom teeth is that very often caries on them does not make itself felt for a long time, and if you do not go to the doctor for a preventive examination every six months, you may well miss the onset of the disease and detect it already when it has already turned into deep caries or pulpitis.

However, if the tooth erupted without pathologies and caries was detected at an early stage, then the dentist may well save the eight. This is also done if the wisdom tooth will be used for prosthetics.

There can be several reasons for removing a caries-affected wisdom tooth:

• the tooth is severely damaged and at the same time it is located so far and uncomfortable that it is very difficult to carry out high-quality treatment;
• high risk of secondary caries;
• eights are distinguished by strongly curved canals, which makes endodontic treatment extremely difficult;
• the absence of an antagonist tooth, that is, a tooth that is located above the one affected by caries. If there is no antagonist tooth, then the chewing load will be unevenly distributed.

conclusions

Let's summarize briefly.

• Although wisdom teeth are actually rudimentary, they may well erupt without problems. At the same time, they will not differ in any way from the rest of the teeth.
• Their eruption is very often accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and if the pain is too strong, the temperature rises, there is a release of blood and pus, then it is better to consult a doctor.
• It is necessary to remove eights in case of pathological eruption: dystopic, impacted or in the presence of mixed pathology.
• Depending on the complexity of the case, the dental surgeon will choose the appropriate method for removing the wisdom tooth. After that, you should follow the doctor's recommendations and drink the medicines prescribed by him - then the rehabilitation period will pass quickly and less unpleasantly.
• But it is far from always necessary to remove wisdom teeth: if they do not interfere with anything and erupt normally, then they can be treated. Although the eights are more prone to caries and it often appears on them again.