They are the teeth that last at the end of the tooth row in the mouth and the last to erupt. In general, these teeth begin to appear in the mouth between the ages of 17 – 22. Depending on the position of wisdom teeth, whether they cause damage to the tissues and adjacent teeth, it should be decided whether to extract or keep them in the mouth. Sufficient space in the jaws, a suitable ratio between jaw and tooth sizes, and the eruption positions of these teeth should be taken into consideration. It is beneficial to extract the teeth that are (partially or completely) impacted under the gingiva and the teeth that are completely impacted within the bone.

If the necessary dental treatments are not done in the youth period and there is a missing tooth in the mouth due to the first molar and the second molar extracted in the early period, the necessary treatments should be carried out to protect the wisdom teeth. In cases where it is necessary to make a dental bridge prosthesis in later periods, necessary dental treatments can be performed with wisdom teeth. Otherwise, the need for a removable dental prosthesis may arise, since there will be no chance of applying a dental bridge prosthesis.

Classification of wisdom teeth according to their impacted degree;

Wisdom teeth that have been completely embedded in the bone,

Twenty-year-old teeth that are not in the bone but buried in the gum,

Twenty-year-old teeth, some of which were opened in the mouth, and some of them remained under the gums,

Fully erupted wisdom teeth in a normal way.

This ranking was made according to the easier event tooth extraction cases where wisdom teeth extraction was the most difficult and complicated.

Classification of wisdom teeth according to the driving style in the jawbone;

Teeth that are in the same position as the other teeth in the front, with their chewing surfaces aligned with each other

Teeth that are inclined to different degrees with the teeth that are in front of the chewing surface,

Teeth where the chewing surface completely touches the lateral surface of the adjacent teeth (with 90 degrees). Here, however, there is an order from the easiest to the most difficult to extract teeth.

Problems that wisdom teeth can cause include:

Cyst-tumor formation around or in the root of the tooth,

Jaw pain due to inflammation, difficulty in opening and closing, gum inflammation,

Tooth crowding due to pressure on front teeth,

Tooth abscess, if neglected,

Swelling in the mouth or face,

Bad breath due to dental caries and bacterial buildup.

Poor position of wisdom teeth makes it difficult to reach this tooth with toothbrush and floss. For this reason, these teeth can decay in a very short time. Even if the person’s oral and dental care is adequate, it may not be possible for them to reach these teeth and do adequate dental cleaning. In such a case, while there is no dental caries in teeth that erupted at a much earlier age, tooth decay can be seen in wisdom teeth. This situation is all about the position of the tooth. Moreover; The decay of the wisdom teeth can cause the second molars to be in contact with the bacteria that cause tooth decay, and it can also cause decay in a short time.

When should wisdom teeth be removed?

Although the jaw development is completed, the teeth that have not reached the correct position should be removed as soon as they are noticed. It should not be expected that these teeth will cause pain or cause problems. It will be more difficult to remove a wisdom tooth that has started to decay, tooth fragments are missing or broken. In case of an infection or tooth abscess, it will not be possible to intervene in the mouth and extract the teeth, and the use of antibiotics before tooth extraction will be mandatory. After the infection is suppressed, only tooth extraction can be done. Healing will be easier at younger ages, but with increasing age, more difficulties may be encountered. In addition, it may be difficult to extract teeth in heart disease, diabetes and other systemic diseases, healing difficulties may increase, and in some serious diseases, it may not be possible to extract teeth.

Situations in which tooth extraction is mandatory for wisdom teeth;

In cases where adequate dental cleaning, oral and dental care cannot be performed due to its location and posture, the tooth must be extracted because of the development of dental caries and affecting other adjacent teeth.

Wisdom teeth should be extracted if the other teeth in the mouth deteriorate due to the pressure exerted by the wisdom teeth, cause tooth crowding, and if orthodontic treatment is deemed necessary to correct this tooth crowding.

Fully impacted wisdom teeth begin to erupt when the other teeth in the mouth are extracted for palate prosthesis. Unless the necessary radiological evaluations are made, it is not understood that these teeth are in the mouth. After a while, the wisdom teeth protrude into the mouth, and pain begins to occur due to the pressure of the prosthesis on them. The compatibility of the prosthesis is broken. Even when the wisdom tooth is extracted, the prosthesis may not be fully aligned.