What are wisdom teeth?

The wisdom tooth, or third molar, typically appears between the ages of 17 and 25 as the third largest tooth located at the back of the jaw. Usually, there are four wisdom teeth, with two in the lower jaw and two in the upper jaw. However, the number can vary among individuals, with some having fewer or more than four. Wisdom teeth often remain impacted due to inadequate space in the jawbone, or they may only partially erupt due to their angled position.

When is it necessary to extract wisdom teeth? Being the rearmost teeth, they are difficult to clean, which makes them prone to rapid decay and subsequent pain, necessitating extraction. In cases where they cannot fully erupt into the mouth due to lack of space, they remain partially impacted and may cause redness, swelling, pain, and restriction of mouth opening by exerting pressure on adjacent teeth. To prevent such complications, extraction of wisdom teeth may be recommended.

How is wisdom tooth extraction surgery performed? The area is numbed with local anesthesia. Depending on the tooth's position, an incision is made in the gum to access the tooth, and surrounding bone may be removed. Sometimes, the tooth is divided into several pieces to facilitate surgical extraction.