These teeth are called wisdom teeth because they appear at a mature age. Wisdom Teeth typically appear between the ages of 17 and 21 years of age. When wisdom teeth or molars develop misaligned they can be positioned horizontally, slanting toward or away from the second molars or skewed inward toward the mouth or outward.
Molars can also be impacted, meaning that they never erupt or only partially erupt through the gums. An impacted wisdom tooth can lead to pain, swelling, and jaw stiffness. A partially impacted wisdom tooth can lead to more serious complications including bacterial infections, an increased chance for tooth decay, gum disease, and general illness. In Addition, if left untreated impacted wisdom teeth can cause damage to neighboring teeth and develop cysts or even tumors.
Your dentist can detect the alignment of your wisdom teeth early with an X-ray. You should have an X-ray periodically to stay on top of changes in the alignment of the molars. If the early misalignment is detected your dentist or oral surgeon may recommend extracting the tooth to avoid complications that may arise from its eruption through the gums.
The need to remove your wisdom teeth will depend on how they developed. If your wisdom teeth have erupted without any problems they don’t need to be removed. Though, it does make them easier to pull, since they can be pulled like any other teeth. However, if they are impacted or partially impacted dental surgery may be required to extract them.