Why should you get your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

We all must have heard the stories of the people who have had their wisdom teeth extracted. Many of these stories convey the horrors of having them and the troublesomeness of the operations. It looks that extracting the wisdom teeth has become a custom before growing into adulthood, but is it always required to remove them?

The response varies because every case is different. While, it is true that removing wisdom teeth can avoid dental problems and emergencies. A dentist can tell you if you need to get them extracted after assessing the position, growth, and impact on surrounding teeth.

Wisdom teeth may not need extraction if they are:

1.       Healthy,

2.       Fully erupted (Grown-in completely),

3.       Correctly positioned,

4.       Biting properly,

5.       Easy to clean as a part of daily hygiene practices.

This article will cover the top reasons when removing a wisdom tooth become necessary.

It is recommended to get your wisdom teeth extracted when:

1.       They become the cause of gum problems: Sometimes the impacted wisdom teeth crowd other teeth and cause ache and swelling, especially when they are only partially erupted (push themselves up through gum tissue into the mouth). These impacted teeth may lead to infections and cysts or tumors formation in the gum tissue. These are the serious issues that can adversely affect the overall health of the person. Partly erupted teeth can get deep pockets around themselves where food and bacteria can get collected and the infection can prosper.

2.       Their growth is causing damage to adjacent teeth: As discussed earlier deep pockets can create areas, where plaque, calculus and food can get collected. This may result in formation of cavities on tooth roots in these areas. This will call for the extraction of both the wisdom teeth and the neighboring teeth.

3.     The tooth position hinders the jaw movement or affects the chewing function: The extraction becomes critical if your wisdom tooth scrapes the soft tissues in your mouth, causes you to bite your cheek, traps food under the gum tissue around it or causes swollen and painful gums. These concerns need to be addressed quickly.

4.       It is clear that extraction become must when they:

·         won’t erupt fully

·         never come in contact with an opposing tooth

·         are moving in the direction of neighboring tooth roots

Wisdom teeth attempt to erupt by moving within the jawbone. If they are growing in the direction of neighboring tooth roots and create pressure on them, the roots will undergo resorption. This can damage the adjacent tooth permanently and will require tooth extraction or a surgery on the affected roots. 

Not getting the teeth extracted if there is some problem can only progress the damage to higher levels and make the removal process more complicated. This is why early extraction is recommended.

A reputable oral health practitioner such as Dr. Shahin Safarian is the best authority to ask on the feasibility and advisability of Wisdom Teeth Removal in San Diego. Remember that the earlier you act, the less problematical your situation will be. Look for a dental advice even before you face any kind of discomfort.