What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Your Third Set of Molars
Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to come in, usually in the late teens or early twenties. Many mouths simply don't have enough room for them. When that happens, a wisdom tooth becomes impacted — stuck against the jawbone, another tooth, or trapped beneath the gum line instead of coming in normally.
Impacted wisdom teeth don't always cause pain right away, but left alone they can lead to bigger problems down the road.