This four-part article series provides an in-depth review of wisdom teeth, what they are and what the procedure and recovery process involves in their removal.

1. Silver Spring MD Dentists Discuss the A to Z of Wisdom Teeth, PART 1
This four-part article series provides an in-depth review of wisdom teeth, what they
are and what the procedure and recovery process involves in their removal.
Sometime during your late teenage and early adult years, you may notice some discomfort,
pressure, pain and/or sensitivity developing toward the back of your mouth. You may notice that
the gums feel stretched over a mound, or that they have split open to make way for what feels like
an emerging set of new teeth.
Well… they are new teeth! They’re your wisdom teeth and according to Silver Spring MD dentists,
they’re the third and final set of molars anyone gets in their life. Wisdom teeth can be somewhat of
a pain during their emergence, but if aligned correctly, they can become an asset to your digestive
system. Unfortunately, wisdom teeth more often emerge from the jaw imperfectly and this
misalignment can cause considerable problems for the rest of your dentition.
For this four-part article series, we sat down with a dentist in Silver Spring to find out about
wisdom teeth, what they are, why they’re necessary and everything you may have wanted and
needed to know about the extraction procedure and recovery. Since almost everyone gets wisdom
teeth and may experience similar problems, it’s important to understand the answers to these
questions.
What Are Wisdom Teeth And Why Are They
Necessary?
“Your wisdom teeth are your third set of molars, which
typically emerge from the jawbone between age 18 and
25,” explains the Silver Spring MD dentist. “The
interesting thing about wisdom teeth is that they are an

2. evolutionary remnant from a time when our jaws were larger and more robust as a result of our
tougher and more fibrous diets. We don’t really need our wisdom teeth anymore, because our diets
consist of softer and more processed, cooked foods, so it’s only a matter of time before they become
phased out by our continued evolution. However, in the meanwhile, they’re there and they can be
problematic for people.”
This begs the question: why are wisdom teeth so frequently a problem? And why are some people
born without them?
“Over the millennia, our jaws have evolved to match our diets. Since we no longer live on grasses,
seeds, bulbs and other tough, fibrous foods, our jaws have become smaller and more gracile,”
explains a dentist in Silver Spring. “Our smaller jaws can’t accommodate a third set of molars or at
least not without consequence for the rest of your teeth, which is why most dentists recommend
their extraction before they’ve even had a chance to fully emerge from the jaw.”
“The fact that more and more people are being born without wisdom teeth or with only two upper
or lower wisdoms supports the hypothesis that they are an evolutionary remnant and are being
phased out.”
Do I Have Wisdom Teeth?
If you aren’t experiencing any of the common symptoms
associated with the emergence of wisdom teeth, then it’s
really impossible to know whether or not you have them
without an X-ray. You should visit your Silver Spring MD
dentist at least once per year for a general check-up, but if you
or your child is in his or her late teens and/or early twenties
and hasn’t been to the dentist in a while, you should book an
appointment. Your dentist will take X-rays of your jaw and
appointment.
dentition to determine, amongst many other things, whether
you have wisdom teeth and whether or not they will emerge
without complication.
Stay Tuned for Part 2
To read more about wisdom teeth, the various problems they tend to cause and the procedure
involved in their extraction, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.