Does Everybody Need Their Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Although most people need their wisdom teeth removed, it’s not necessary for absolutely everyone. Often, though, because the problems that result can be serious, we may recommend removal of your wisdom teeth before we know for certain that there will be a problem. Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth? Wisdom teeth, technically called third molars, are a remnant of our evolutionary past when we ate much tougher, raw foods. These foods stimulated the growth of a larger jaw. They also wore down our teeth more so that replacements were necessary to allow our ancestors to be able to keep chewing their entire lives, perhaps an average of 35 years or so. Some individuals survived to an age of perhaps 50, but by this age they often had only one or two teeth left, so it’s just as well they got the extra ones! https://youtu.be/nkze74G_xd4 When we began cooking our food, we ate much softer foods as a result, and our jaws began to shrink. The so-called Magdalenian Girl, a skeleton that dates from 13,000-15,000 years ago represents the first known case of an impacted wisdom tooth. When to Extract Wisdom Teeth For some people, wisdom teeth come in fine, and there’s no need to worry about them. For other people, wisdom teeth may become impacted, which means that they hit up against the side of the second molar and get kind of stuck. As the wisdom tooth tries to force its way out, it can push against the other teeth, causing crowding and other orthodontic problems. It can also cause damage to the second molar, and, because it will be hard to clean (and make the second molar hard to clean), it can put you at additional risk of decay and may become infected. If your family has a history of impacted wisdom teeth, it might be best to remove them before they become impacted. We may also recommend removal if they look like they will become impacted. Or we may remove them if they are becoming impacted and causing symptoms. The right time to remove wisdom teeth depends on your situation. If you have concerns about your wisdom teeth and want to lean whether they should be extracted, please call (303) 975-6987 or contact Ascent Dental in the Cherry Creek area of Denver today.
What Are Teeth Made Of?
Teeth are actually not made of a single material. They are made of 4 distinct parts: enamel, dentin, pulp, and cementum, each with a precise function. Enamel Enamel is the outer layer of the tooth, the whitish colored smooth part we’re used to seeing. Tooth enamel is 96% mineral, primarily hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite is a mineral made of calcium, phosphates, and hydroxide groups. This is strong and brittle, and gives the teeth their whiteness. Dentin Dentin is a less mineralized tissue under the enamel. It is more similar to bone, and has a pale yellowy color that can show through if your enamel gets thin. Dentin makes up most of the tooth. It has more toughness than the enamel and supports it, giving the teeth some flex. Dentin is only 70% mineral, and once cavities reach the dentin, they may progress quickly because of its lower mineral content. It has a great deal of collagen, which helps give it its flexibility and toughness. Dentin has tiny tubules that run through it to the border of the enamel or cementum. These are what convey heat and cold to the tooth pulp, causing tooth sensitivity. Cementum Cementum covers the roots of your teeth. It is even softer than either enamel or dentin, and is a rough material which serves as an anchor for the periodontal ligaments, which anchor the tooth in the jaw. Receding gums can expose cementum, and when this occurs, you can usually see the difference between it and the enamel above. Cementum is only 45% mineral, and has a significant water content (about 20%). Decay can progress quickly through cementum once it is exposed. Pulp The tooth pulp, also sometimes called the nerve of the tooth, is the soft interior of the tooth. The pulp contains cells that help generate the tooth during development, and the pulp also helps nourish tooth material. The pulp also has a blood supply. When bacteria reach the pulp, they can cause a serious infection that needs a root canal to treat or may require the extraction of the tooth to prevent bacteria from spreading through the body. Your teeth are a complicated, sophisticated system. They are well-designed for their job, and if you take care of them, they will take care of you. If you need help caring for your teeth, please call (303) 975-6987 or contact Ascent Dental in the Cherry Creek area of Denver today.