The third molar or wisdom tooth, as it is commonly called, usually grows during early teens to late twenties and is often misaligned. Calling it a wisdom tooth would be an irony because most of the time these teeth are misaligned and impacted. Purpose of the Tooth You might think that those ironic teeth would serve no purpose except to cause you pain, but it was believed that during prehistoric times, those third molars would actually replace one of the teeth that arise when it breaks because of eating hard food. Fortunately, in modern times, our food is softer and the teeth do not easily break. Leaving It Is a Bad Idea A wisdom tooth is often found in between a gum and a molar where it can cause an unbearable pain. These are dangerous for your oral health since the gums are open and bacteria could seep into them causing decay. Living with a tooth that might cause you medical complications and intense pain would leave you unable to work or go to school. When you leave it untreated, it would produce complications such as gum disease, cysts, and damage to other teeth. Once you take this tooth for granted, the it could cause stiffness in the jaw. The Sole Remedy The only solution to a wisdom tooth problem is extraction through an operation. Caring for the extracted area is important as the dentist just removed a sensitive tooth. After the surgery, it might hurt, but it’s okay, it’s better to have a 24 hour pain rather than a permanent damage that this tooth can give you. Surgery After Care It is best for you to rest immediately after you get your tooth extracted, physical work would just increase the bleeding. While the area is still numb, be careful not to bite your cheeks and remember that rubbing your tongue on the operated area would slow down the healing process. Eating soft cold food would also help as it would prevent swelling and can give rest your gums. Follow your dentist’s instructions as they know more about it and will do their best to help. If you want to find out more about the wisdom teeth and its complications, come to our clinic near Prahran at The Dental Co. and our dentists would help you with your problems. For more information about our services, visit this link to our website: http://www.thedentalcompany.com.au/.