A wisdom tooth!
A Wisdom Tooth!
The wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth in human dentition. The name does not imply that you'll be smarter but, they're called so because unless the rest of the teeth, they manifest when you're much older.
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An adult human usually have a complete set of 32 teeth which completely manifest around the age of 13 except the wisdom teeth which does so between age 17 to 21.
The set of 32 is comprised of:
- 8 incisors,
- 4 canines,
- 8 premolars,
- 4 molars,
- and a set of 4 third-molars or wisdom teeth.
A well-aligned and developed wisdom tooth can be a valuable asset and can be used in grinding food substances. However, they are often misaligned as the jaw often have inadequate space to harbour it.
A misaligned wisdom tooth may mean that the tooth :
- is positioned horizontally.
- is positioned at an angle towards or away from the neighbouring molar.
- is impacted. Being impacted means that the tooth is partially or totally emebedded in the soft-tissue(gum).
The misaligned teeth are usually difficult to brush and floss and this can lead to a greater danger such as irritations, pain, swelling and infections as they are unkempt and can hold unto food particles. This can allow the entry of harmful bacteria which eventually leads to decay of the gum, tooth and nearby tooth and tissues.
Dentists often advise that the tooth should be removed at its early stage before it causes any damage.