The Development Process of Wisdom Teeth
There are various stages of tooth development that occur before the wisdom tooth can come in. These stages can be simplified and broken down into:
Initial calcification stage
This occurs around the age of 7 to 9 in the upper arch of your mouth and between the ages of 8-10 in the lower arch. During this stage, at certain points along the arch various biological processes occur leading to an enamel organ being formed, which will eventually grow to produce enamel.
Crown completion
The process of crown calcification occurs with the enamel organ leading to the production of enamel in a process called amelogenesis. This if often completed between the ages of 12-16 for both upper and lower arches.
Root formation
This final stage often occurs most often between the ages of 16 to the early 20s. Whilst the precise mechanism of tooth eruption is not known, root formation and tooth eruption occur at a similar time for wisdom despite root formation being shown to not push the tooth up into the mouth. As the wisdom tooth is coming in through the gum it can lead to soreness of gums.
How to know when your Wisdom Teeth are coming in:
The early stages of Wisdom teeth coming in can often be detected by a hard swelling in the back of the gums next to the last molars as the crown of the wisdom tooth prepares to erupt.
Eventually, this can lead to pain in the gum, and further swelling until the tooth erupts. Itβs also possible that during this process, that pain may be felt in neighbouring teeth.
The EZ Teether is designed to provide a resistant surface for you to bite down upon and massage this painful area of the gum applying pressure for temporary pain relief. (McIntyre and McIntyre, 2002). It is important that if pain persists you seek advice from your dentist.
References
McIntyre, G. and McIntyre, G. (2002). Teething troubles?. British Dental Journal, 192(5), pp.251-255.
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