Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are large teeth located in the back of the mouth. In the past, wisdom teeth used to play an important role in the way our ancestors chewed their food, but as the consistency of our meals changed, we no longer needed those strong large teeth. As a result, the human skull has changed, becoming narrower and leaving less space for wisdom teeth to emerge. The lack of space as well as the lack of functionality together have led to what wisdom teeth are today: molars that are not useful, but that cause a lot of problems.
Fortunately, wisdom teeth are not problematic for everyone. Some people are lucky enough to have perfectly emerged, strong and healthy wisdom teeth – the people in this situation usually do not need to have wisdom tooth removal Buffalo Grove dental offices offer. However, most of us are not that lucky and have wisdom teeth problems related either to the direction of growth or to the fact that wisdom teeth are exceptionally difficult to clean, therefore very prone to developing severe decay. When dentists are faced with strong and straight wisdom teeth that have developed a cavity, the treatment option they recommend is usually the application of a filling. However, if the wisdom tooth has not grown out properly or the decay that is affecting it is very severe, the extraction of the tooth is the best course of treatment.
