Third molars, also called wisdom teeth, are the last set of permanent teeth to erupt in a person's mouth and are the ones least needed. Wisdom teeth can endanger a patient's dental health when:

• They erupt through your gum, but your jaw is too small to hold them. As a result, they force other teeth out of alignment and can damage your bite.

• They do not erupt through your gum and are not in a normal position. As a result, they crowd the roots of other teeth, force them out of alignment, and can damage your bite.

When your jaw is too small to accommodate normal wisdom teeth, it is common for gum or jaw discomfort and swelling to occur. In addition, there is a greater risk of developing gum (periodontal) disease.

 

Surgery to remove wisdom teeth is typically the best course of action. If a wisdom tooth has fully erupted through the gum, a standard tooth extraction is performed. If the tooth has not erupted through the gum, an impacted tooth extraction method is used.