Wisdom Tooth Surgery
Wisdom teeth removal is a common oral surgery procedure. It’s often recommended as a preventative measure to protect your other teeth from future problems and preserve your oral health. Recovery is usually quick and most people can return to normal activities in just a few days.
What are the risks or complications of wisdom teeth extraction?
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Infection.
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Dry sockets (loss of blood clot resulting in exposed bone).
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Damage to other oral structures, including the jawbone, nerves, sinuses, or nearby teeth.
More information
Wisdom teeth removal is the extraction of your third molars — the four permanent adult teeth located in the very back of your mouth, in the upper and lower jaws. Wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 21. Most people have all four of their wisdom teeth. It’s estimated that 5% to 37% of people only have some of their wisdom teeth — or in some cases, none at all.
Researchers believe that wisdom teeth were necessary for our ancestors, as their diet mostly consisted of hard nuts, crunchy leaves, and uncooked meat. Today, however, we eat more cooked food and use forks and knives to cut our food up into smaller pieces. As a result, wisdom teeth are widely regarded as vestigial structures (parts of the human body that have become unnecessary).
