Wisdom teeth are also called third molars. They come in behind your back teeth any time from about 15 to 25 years.

There simply may not be enough room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth and, as they start to come through, they push against the teeth already there - or these new teeth may start to come through at an angle. When this happens, you might feel some pain or discomfort, so the best thing to do is to visit your dentist. The dentist will probably take an x-ray of your mouth to see how - or if - your wisdom teeth are coming through. From this, they will be able to make a judgement on whether or not to take them out, and how easy or difficult it might be.

Sometimes - especially if the teeth are already partially through - your dentist will be able to remove the wisdom at their practice. However, if they think it might be difficult, they will probably refer you to a dental hospital where you can have them removed by a specialist oral surgeon. This can be done under sedation, or occasionally, under general anaesthetic.

Often the lower wisdom tooth lies close to an important nerve. To avoid the risk of damaging this nerve, the Oral Surgeon may elect to remove only a portion of the tooth. This is called a coronectomy.