Our third molars, also known as our wisdom teeth, have become obsolete for us. They are located in the back four corners of your mouth and they errupt when you are a teenager or early adult. Getting your wisdom teeth extracted is a common surgery amoung young adults all over the world. Their placement at the back of your mouth means that they may cause some oral issues if you do not have your dentist or another oral specialist diagnose them incorrectly. By using panoramic x-rays your dentist will be able to take a look at them and monitor their status. They will be able to give you a professional opinion on what your best course of action would be. Your family dentist will be able to refer you to a specialist to get further evaluated and for getting them extracted.
When shouldn’t you remove your wisdom teeth?
Determining whether or not to remove your wisdom teeth will depend on the benefits and the risks of having them removed. In rare instances wisdom teeth may not cause problems for an individual which makes extracting them unnecessary. Here are some examples of situations where the extraction of wisdom teeth is not needed:
- You currently have a great oral health, so the risks associated with your wisdom teeth that might exacerbate your pre-existing conditions is reduced
- Your wisdom teeth have already grown in with no complications to the other teeth in your mouth
- They are situated in the correct way in your mouth and your bite remains aligned
- They are easily accessible and can be cleaned properly so there is no risk of cavities or gum disease in the area
When should you get your wisdom teeth removed?
Many teenagers and young adults will typically need their wisdom teeth removed. This is mostly because they do not have the extra room in their mouth to accommodate their wisdom teeth. This is known as impaction. When your wisdom teeth get impacted then they either won’t be able to break through your gums or they will only emerge partially through your gums. When wisdom teeth grow in less than ideal angles, such as sideways, this can cause some serious pain to the individual.
The most common issues related to impacted wisdom teeth which need to be removed include:
- Wisdom teeth partially erupted through the gums in a way where they are constantly getting debris and food trapped underneath the flap of the gums which leads to bacteria to accumulate and risks of getting an infection known as pericoronitis
- Wisdom teeth only emerging halfway which makes them harder to clean and maintain against cavities and gum disease
- Infections due to wisdom teeth can result in more severe infections that can be life threatening
- Wisdom teeth that erupt in a mouth with no more room in it will cause the shiting of other adult teeth which can result in tooth decay, enamel loss and a misaligned bite
