Do Wisdom Teeth Always Need To Be Removed?
Apr 08, 2024
Wisdom teeth typically appear in your late teens to early 20s, after the rest of your adult teeth have developed. They’re an evolutionary holdover from a time when early humans had larger jaws to chew raw foods and tough meat.
Due to the ease of our modern diets, our jaws are smaller and these four extra molars are sometimes just too much for the space available. Some people never develop wisdom teeth, but 53% of people over 25 have at least one.
In many cases, crowded, crooked, or impacted wisdom teeth may trigger problems that make extraction necessary.
Our skilled team of dentists at Tropical Dental Care in Tomball, Texas, use digital X-rays to identify any existing or potential issues with your wisdom teeth. When necessary, we perform most extractions in our office for your convenience.
By the time most people reach young adulthood, they generally have 28 permanent teeth. When wisdom teeth come in, you gain two more on top and two more on the bottom of your mouth.
Often, our patients’ jaws simply aren't big enough to accommodate four extra teeth. If they don’t have enough space to grow, wisdom teeth can crowd your other teeth, causing damage and bite problems.
Wisdom teeth frequently emerge crooked or at an angle. When they do, they can press against nearby teeth and trigger them to shift, or become crooked themselves. This can make it harder to remove debris when brushing and can put you at a higher risk of decay, cavities, and gum disease.
For this reason, we may need to remove wisdom teeth prior to orthodontic treatment. If your wisdom teeth come in after we’ve removed your braces, they could cause your newly straightened teeth to shift out of alignment.
Impacted, or sideways, wisdom teeth are extremely common. Up to 90% of people have at least one. Impacted wisdom teeth often cause pain and inflammation.
A wisdom tooth becomes impacted when it gets stuck while erupting from the gums or if it never comes through at all. If it stays completely below the gumline, it’s fully impacted. A partially impacted wisdom tooth may cut part way through the gum, but never entirely emerges.
You may experience jaw pain, inflammation, and/or bleeding gums. Even if you don’t feel any discomfort, fully and partially impacted wisdom teeth put you at an increased risk of infection.
If you suspect that your wisdom teeth are behind your oral health issues and may need to be removed, our team at Tropical Dental Care can help you get relief. Call or click to request an appointment at our Tomball, Texas, office today.