Facts about Wisdom Teeth Removal

A graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Dr. George Hatzigiannis practices oral and maxillofacial surgery from his private practice in Boston. As an oral surgeon, Dr. George Hatzigiannis conducts an array of procedures, with one of the most common being the removal of wisdom teeth.

The last teeth in the mouth to develop are the third molars, known more commonly as wisdom teeth. People usually begin to develop wisdom teeth around the age of 10, but these molars may not erupt until individuals are in their late teens and 20s. If these teeth do not fully erupt and grow in a way that causes them to be misaligned between the gums and jaw bone, they can potentially cause damage to the surrounding teeth and tissues.

Statistics suggest that as many as 85 percent of people have a need for wisdom tooth extraction procedures in their lifetime, although not everyone will need to have all four teeth extracted. The lower molars are more commonly removed than the upper molars and are more likely to cause oral diseases such as pericoronitis if left in the mouth.