Your wisdom teeth, or third molars, come in during your late teens or early 20s. These third molars often don’t come in straight, get stuck under the gum line, or crowd your current smile. About 5 million people have their wisdom teeth out every year.
Removal of wisdom teeth is a normal practice, but is it required?
At Advanced Care Dentistry in Woodinville, Washington, we do a thorough evaluation of your oral health before recommending wisdom teeth removal. In the vast majority of cases, taking them out early is a smart preventive move or essential for a healthy mouth. Here’s why.
Pain is a symptom of problematic wisdom teeth, but no pain doesn’t mean everything is OK.
Your wisdom teeth can get stuck (impacted) and are unable to punch through your gums. They aren’t causing pain yet, because they haven’t worked their way through to the surface.
Under your gums, they may be growing at an angle or just don’t have room to erupt because your mouth is too small. When your wisdom teeth do eventually emerge, they’ll likely cause pain as they push up against other teeth and cause damage.
Wisdom teeth under the gums may be set so they will emerge at an angle and impede on other teeth. We can see their growth path through standard dental X-rays.
Waiting until later means your wisdom teeth have time to crowd your current teeth. Plus, removal of teeth when you're young is easier. As you get older, the bones in your mouth harden and make teeth more difficult to remove.
Wisdom teeth are harder to keep clean with even the most basic hygiene, like brushing and flossing. This almost inevitably leads to higher plaque build-up and the risk of decay. Removal of your wisdom teeth now helps you avoid potential gum disease and tooth decay later.
If we determine that you have detectable problems with your wisdom teeth, their removal isn’t really negotiable unless you want to experience the expense, pain, and hassle of oral health problems.
We strongly recommend you get your wisdom teeth out if they’re causing or about to cause damage to other teeth. If we see the beginnings of jaw damage, in which cysts form around these new molars, you’ll need to have your wisdom teeth taken out or risk damage to your nerves and degradation of your jaw bone.
Wisdom teeth need to be removed if they’re causing sinus pain or pressure, gum disease, or cavities
We evaluate the shape of your mouth and the position of your teeth before making a recommendation for wisdom teeth removal. The dentists also consider your age and the long-term effects keeping your wisdom teeth may have on your bite alignment and tooth health.
If you’re ready to have your wisdom teeth evaluated, contact Advanced Care Dentistry today. Call the friendly staff at our office or reach out via this website to set up an appointment and review all of your options.
