Getting your wisdom teeth removed is one of the biggest dental procedures teens and adults go through. Whether you’ve just gotten yours or had them for years, you might be wondering whether it’s necessary to remove or extract wisdom teeth.
For most patients, removing wisdom teeth is a good idea, but it isn’t always necessary. It all depends on the placement of your wisdom teeth.
When Should You Remove Your Wisdom Teeth?
The American Dental Association recommends removing wisdom teeth if they affect the other teeth in your mouth. Changes that can occur from wisdom teeth include:
- Teeth being too close together, making it harder to remove bits of food and increasing your risk of cavities
- Partially emerged wisdom teeth that allow bacteria to easily enter the gums and possibly cause infection
- Crowding in the mouth that causes crookedness in your bottom or top teeth
- Impacted wisdom teeth that don’t have room to break through the gum, so they get infected and cause painful cysts
Your dentist can tell through a simple X-ray whether or not your wisdom teeth are impacted, and how likely they are to cause problems if they emerge through your gums.
If you aren’t sure whether you should wait to get your wisdom teeth removed, it’s best to reach out to a professional for their advice.
Waiting too long to remove your wisdom teeth can cause unnecessary pain, increase the risk of infection, and lead to other problems that require separate treatments (like teeth straightening).
When Do Wisdom Teeth Come In?
Most people get their wisdom teeth between ages 17 and 25. Some lucky few are born without them, but everyone else can expect to see them emerge in their late teens through early adulthood.
If you have enough space in your jaw for the teeth to come in, then you won’t have to worry about them getting removed. However, most people find that their wisdom teeth can’t come in all the way or at all. If they do make it through the surface of their gums, they lead to issues with the rest of their teeth that can cause pain.
What Does It Mean if Your Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted?
Impacted wisdom teeth can’t move through the gums, so they stay underneath the surface. Because they’re essentially trapped in your gums, they can cause intense pain and lead to infection.
Impacted wisdom teeth can also stir up trouble below the surface. Their mere presence can cause other teeth to shift forward in an attempt to make room for them. This can give you an uneven bite or cause crookedness.
If you are looking for a dentist to help treat your wisdom teeth, we’re here for you. Please book an appointment with us at CITIDental today for a wisdom tooth evaluation by one of our dentists!