Gateway Family Dentistry, Timothy R. Gailey DMD

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to erupt in your mouth and are the teeth least needed for good oral health. Most people have four wisdom teeth that usually erupt through the gums in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes wisdom teeth remain trapped in the jawbone under the gums because there is insuficient room for them to erupt.

Wisdom teeth can cause gum disease, crowding or other damage to adjacent teeth, decay (due to the inability of your toothbrush to keep the area clean), and bone destroying cysts. Pain and swelling are the most common symptoms of problem wisdom teeth. Whether you have obvious symptoms or not, it is important to diagnose existing or potential problems caused by your wisdom
teeth. Removal is often the wisest decision for your health and well-being.


Horizontal Impaction is a severe condition that always requires extraction.	Vertical Impaction. In time, vertically impacted teeth may erupt. However, in many cases the process is painful and can damage and crowd adjacent teeth.

Mesial Impaction is the most common condition requiring extraction.	Distal Impaction. The term “distal” simply means that the wisdom tooth is angled back, towards the rear of the mouth.