My survey was taken by an array of men and women …show more content…
Some people may have more or less than that depending on a number of factors. The last set of teeth to grow in are the third molars, or “Wisdom Teeth” as they are often referred to and begin to erupt around the ages of 17-21. Most of the time there is not enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to fully erupt. This can cause pain, infection, damage to surrounding teeth, and extensive cavities. Having wisdom teeth removed is not proven to be a cultural norm, as some people might think, but based on the patient’s need and dentist recommendation. Before calculating the results of the survey, I hypothesized that students in the older age groups would have a higher percentage of their wisdom teeth being previously taken out. However, I anticipated that if the percentage for the younger age group was high, the result would change in a few years for those students. The New York Times did a piece titled, Wisdom of Having That Tooth Removed, in which they interviewed dentists from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The Association stated, “80 percent of young adults who retained previously healthy wisdom teeth developed problems within seven years, and that retained wisdom teeth are extracted up to 70% of the time,” (New York Times). If a patient is lucky enough to not have any issues with their wisdom teeth, or if they have enough room in their mouth for them to grow in, it is very important to remember proper dental care is still needed to maintain good oral