Is it wise to remove wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth need not be removed in all patients. But if there’s a chance that your wisdom teeth will cause problems, it’s easier to take them out when you’re young. That’s because the roots of the teeth are not fully developed yet, and the bone around the teeth is less dense. Younger people also heal faster than older ones.
Here are a few pointers:
- Wisdom teeth need not be removed if they are healthy and positioned correctly to occlude with the opposing teeth.
- Wisdom teeth (third molars), in the very back of your mouth sometimes don’t have enough room to erupt properly and can cause problems. Erupting wisdom teeth can grow at various angles in the jaw, sometimes even horizontally. This is the time to remove them.
- Sometimes wisdom teeth are able to emerge only partially and remained trapped or impacted within the jaw. This may lead to severe gum inflammation, swelling and pain. This is a wise time to extract the wisdom teeth.
- Repeated infection of soft tissues behind the lower last teeth is a cause for worry. In such cases, the wisdom teeth have to be removed.
- If cysts or abscesses are formed due to the wisdom teeth, they have to be removed.
- Sometimes, malposed wisdom teeth lead to food impaction and decay in the adjacent teeth. In such cases the wisdom teeth need to be removed immediately and the adjacent teeth treated.
The decision to remove wisdom teeth or not, isn’t always clear. The trick here is careful monitoring of the erupting wisdom teeth and to visit your dentist on time, and allow him to decide what’s best.
Need advice about your Wisdom teeth? The Dental Spa is here to make you, teeth wise!
