Wisdom teeth

An adult's dentition exists if all Wisdom teeth (Sapiens) are present, consisting of 32 teeth, which are divided into four types of teeth: incisors, canines, front molars and rear molars, which are also known as molars. Since the third molars only erupt in adulthood, they are also known as wisdom teeth.

What are wisdom teeth?

The Wisdom teeth, also known as dentes serotini (= teeth coming late), appear between the ages of 16 and 25 and are therefore the last teeth to develop in human teeth.

There are also cases in which they erupt later or not at all, because the upper and lower wisdom teeth are often not created in the jaw. Since they are at the last, that is, from the middle of the dentition at the eighth position in the row of teeth, they are also called eighth.

The upper wisdom teeth show the most irregularities of all teeth in terms of crown and root shape. The lower wisdom teeth often have anomalies in their position, so that the eruption is often associated with complications. In many people, the wisdom teeth are outside the row of teeth and are therefore not infrequently the cause of various diseases or complaints.

Anatomy & structure

Of the Wisdom tooth consists of the tooth crown (corona dentis), the tooth neck (cervix dentis) and the tooth root (radix dentis), like all other teeth in permanent dentition. A tooth is made up of several layers.

The outermost layer, the enamelum, is the hardest substance found in the human body. It consists of 95 percent of a crystalline material called hydroxyapatite, the main components of which are calcium and phosphate. Tooth enamel is formed by adamantoblasts, enamel-forming cells. Tooth enamel is slightly permeable to water-soluble substances such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride.

The dentin, which is the main mass of the tooth, lies directly under the enamel. Two thirds of the hard substance of dentin, like tooth enamel, consists of phosphate and calcium. The last third is made up of protein and water, which is why dentin is less hard and therefore more prone to caries than tooth enamel. Dentin is also sensitive to pain.

Touch, cold and heat stimuli trigger fluid movements in the dentinal tubules, whereby the cell processes (Tomes fibers) of the dentin-forming cells (odontoblasts) are stimulated. Nerve endings connected to the odontoblasts transmit this stimulus to the central nervous system as a feeling of pain.

The inner part of the tooth is filled by the pulp, which is colloquially incorrectly referred to as the tooth nerve. The pulp is permeated by nerve fibers and blood vessels and nourishes the tooth. In the area of ​​the tooth root, the dentin is enveloped by the root cement, which at this point forms the outer shell of the tooth and anchors it in the jaw.

Functions & tasks

Originally they had Wisdom teeth the task of crushing raw foods that humans found in nature. The change in diet to cooked food and the self-cultivation of cereals, vegetables and fruits led to an increasing atrophy of the wisdom teeth over the millennia.

At the same time, the human jaw became smaller, so that today they are only considered relics from bygone times. However, if the wisdom teeth erupt completely in the correct position, they are useful chewing elements.

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Diseases

problems with Wisdom teeth usually occur when there is not enough space in the jaw. If this is too narrow, the teeth cannot grow far enough into the oral cavity and partially or completely get stuck in the jaw.

Teeth that remain in the jaw can damage or move neighboring teeth. This can not only lead to aesthetic losses due to misaligned teeth, it can also form niches between the teeth that are difficult to clean and therefore prone to caries and periodontal disease.

The gingival pockets, which are formed by only partially erupted wisdom teeth, are a real focus of bacteria, as food residues accumulate there that are difficult or impossible to remove. This often leads to inflammation of the gums in these areas, which can lead to abscesses or even life-threatening phlegmon.