Some people are lucky to grow healthy wisdom teeth. For many whose jaws can’t offer enough room for these molars to erupt properly, though, keeping their wisdom teeth would cause mean discomfort and eventual intense pain. Here are some reasons why you have to take them out.
Decay - Wisdom teeth could grow at an awkward angle and create pockets for bacterial growth and cavity formation.
Damage to Adjacent Teeth – When a wisdom tooth doesn’t have enough space to grow, it crowds the neighboring tooth, causing pain and bite discomfort.
Jaw Damage - Cysts sometimes form around the growing tooth. If left untreated, they could go deep into your jaw and damage some nerves.
Alignment - Impacted wisdom teeth can reduce the effectiveness of bridges, crowns, braces, dentures and other types of orthodontics.
Some dentists extract wisdom teeth early to prevent problems from occurring later on. The bones in your mouth get harder as you age so the longer you wait, the tougher it will be to remove those molars. In case the tooth becomes impacted, taking it out may require surgery by oral surgeons.
However, your dentist will first evaluate the health of your molars based on their position and the shape of your jaw to determine whether extraction (or a surgery) is necessary. In case you need extraction, but have dental fear to a certain degree, your dentist will provide sedation to make the procedure more comfortable. You’ll wake up more relaxed and relieved with little to no memory of the procedure at all.
