There are a lot of reasons wisdom teeth should be removed, including the fact they can’t break the gum’s surface or the fact they can be involved in serious disease procedures.
Wisdom teeth, the third molars that erupt through late teens to early adulthood, are generally a source of oral surgery today.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Generally in most people, wisdom teeth will bust through the gum’s surface between ages 18 and 24. However, some individuals will experience the eruption of the wisdom teeth at an earlier or later age with no abnormalities.
If your teeth are not able to erupt, the tooth is impacted. This can occur if there’s not enough room for the tooth to come in, or if other teeth prevent the normal eruption path. Furthermore, wisdom teeth can be impacted if the wisdom teeth come in at an unusual angle.
A number of of the reasons wisdom teeth can be removed include:
– The infection surrounding the wisdom teeth
– Tooth rotting in the wisdom teeth
– Incorrect teeth alignment
– Possible injury to the surrounding teeth due to the eruption of the wisdom tooth
– Pain or continuing soreness from an impacted wisdom tooth
– Periodontal disease
Even though the reasons wisdom teeth are extracted are abundant, some problems would contradict the removal of the teeth except for in extreme case.
These ailments could include:
– Diabetes
– Heart disease
– Bleeding disorders
– Weak tolerance of anesthesia
– Nerves in close approximation to the impacted wisdom tooth
To look for the condition and placement of the wisdom teeth, a dentist will need to x-ray the mouth area. Most people do not have a total set (four) of wisdom teeth. Lacking a few or even all of the wisdom teeth is normal and is not an underlying cause for alarm.
After looking at x-rays, the dental professional will look to determine if removal of wisdom teeth will be necessary. He or she may also look for problems that would contraindicate elimination of the wisdom teeth such as possible nerve damage during removal as a result of close proximity of nerves in the jaw that might be injured during the extraction process.
Clearly not all wisdom teeth should be removed, but some can cause excellent pain or discomfort. This pain often results in a dental assessment where the wisdom teeth tend to be found to be impacted, infected, or affecting bordering teeth.
The decision is made to take out the problematic, non-functioning teeth to be able to promote the well being of the patient. If you feel your wisdom teeth might need to be removed, go to your dentist for a comprehensive evaluation to talk about your options.