Located in the very back part of your mouth, wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to emerge. They usually erupt between the ages of 14-30, although some people never get them at all. For many people, wisdom teeth come in properly and do not cause any issues. For others however, issues occur, and intervention is necessary to avoid future complications. If left untreated, problematic wisdom teeth can lead to pain, tooth decay, gum disease and occlusion problems. If there is not enough room in the back of the mouth for wisdom teeth to erupt properly, their growth can be disrupted and cause a variety of issues including pain and swelling. Sometimes wisdom teeth only erupt partially through the gums, causing issues with the surrounding teeth, cavities, gum infections and/or severe pain. Wisdom teeth can sometimes grow in unusual directions, which can cause complications due to crowding and damage to adjacent second molars. Additionally, impacted wisdom teeth can occur when there is not enough room for the teeth to erupt in the mouth and they become stuck in the gums, unable to emerge. Wisdom teeth that are impacted in the jaw can provide a fertile ground for bacteria to grow at the opening of the mouth, which can lead to gum infection resulting in considerable discomfort, pain, swelling and illness. Your dentist can often foresee future concerns, so will recommend the removal of your wisdom teeth before any problems have arisen, thus helping avoid expensive surgical procedures later on.