Does everyone have them? Out with it or not? There are many myths about wisdom teeth. We answer the most common questions about these dental stragglers.
1. You should get out of here as soon as possible
This claim is not always true. Because if they don’t cause any problems, wisdom teeth can stay in the jaw for a lifetime. However, if they are across and cause a feeling of pressure, these molars should be removed as quickly as possible.
2. A tight jaw is problematic
Yes, that’s right. With a small jaw, wisdom teeth usually have no space to breakthrough. As a result, they often grow crooked and can shift other teeth. They should then be best drawn.
3. Do not operate on inflammation
The claim that one has to wait until the inflammation of the tooth has subsided before an operation is persistent, but it is nonetheless wrong. On the contrary: if the inflammation has progressed so far that it even leads to a fever, the tooth must be removed immediately. Because then the probability is high that the inflammation has already spread in the body. After the operation, the patient usually feels much better because of the pressure created by the pus eases immediately.
Tip: Taking enzymes after dental surgery supplies the areas to be healed with repairing immune cells.
4. Everyone gets it
That is only partly true. In around 20 percent of the population, certain teeth are simply not created in the jaw. But they are usually present from the age of 16 and are visible on the X-ray.
5. You always breakthrough
That’s not true. Often wisdom teeth do not erupt at all – up to 80 percent of young adults have at least one copy in their mouth, which usually remains hidden under the gums without pain or is only partially visible. Doctors speak of a retained (retained) tooth.
The reason for this is usually a lack of space in the jaw or a misalignment of the tooth. Adjacent teeth can also prevent a wisdom tooth from erupting. There are complications that broken teeth can bring with them. These include infections in the gap between the bone and the tooth crown.
6. They cause tooth decay
That’s often true. Because when the wisdom tooth grows at an angle to its neighbor, niches are created that are difficult to reach with a tooth and space brush. Food residues and bacteria can accumulate there, often resulting in tooth decay. Likewise, gum pockets often appear with half-erupted teeth.
7. They have no function
Wisdom teeth are not always useless. Because as teeth that are growing straight, the so-called figure eight (this is what the dentist calls them) are full-fledged molars and can crush hard food such as raw vegetables.
8. An operation is a major procedure
That’s partly true. Wisdom teeth are pulled or operated on under local anesthesia. Dr. Stephan Ziegler, dentist and head of the KU64 dental practice in Berlin explains: “We remove wisdom teeth very gently by first carefully dividing the roots into their individual parts.
This makes it easier to remove the tooth and does not damage the bone. So that there is no inflammation, I recommend the patient to have professional teeth cleaning done beforehand. Because the fewer bacteria there are in the oral cavity, the better the healing after the procedure. ”
9. They harm other teeth
That’s mostly true. Because even wisdom teeth that are not visible can cause damage. Some of them do not grow vertically, but horizontally so that they damage neighboring teeth or even grow into them. Often it also happens that the row of teeth shifts as a result.
10. They always hurt
This is partly true, for example, if the gums become inflamed when the wisdom tooth breaks through. Clove oil is then used as SOS help, which is best pressed onto the spot with your finger. You can also bite on cloves. Its ingredient eugenol has a slightly numbing and anti-inflammatory effect.