Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth that grow during our adolescent years. They sparked several debates if it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth or not.
Based on this study, it is safe to keep them but under certain conditions. Discover when it is safe to leave them in your mouth and when to say goodbye to your wisdom teeth.
Signs that you can keep your wisdom teeth
Wisdom teeth are our strongest teeth. Though third molars are not as essential as other molars, you can still keep them if they are:
- Fully-erupted or grew in an upright position without affecting the neighboring teeth.
- Spaced correctly and doesn’t cause overcrowding.
- Don’t affect your bite.
- Don’t cause any pain or pressure on your jaw.
When is it necessary to extract your wisdom teeth?
If your wisdom tooth comes in without causing any issues, you can keep them. However, they can grow in causing problems not only to the neighboring tooth but also on your gums, jaw, and bite. It’s necessary to remove your wisdom teeth if you experience any of the following:
- Chewing difficulties: Though your wisdom tooth grows in without issues, it may not fit with the upper or lower teeth. Ill-fitting lower and upper teeth can cause chewing problems that can lead to bite and jaw issues down the road.
- Impacted wisdom teeth: When there’s not enough room for the wisdom tooth to grow in, it will stay in the gums and cause pain. Since it can’t erupt due to overcrowding or wrong position, it can push against the tooth next to it, causing pain and gum swelling.
- Crooked teeth due to overcrowding: When your wisdom teeth shift your other teeth to grow in, it may cause overcrowding and crooked teeth. The problem with overcrowded teeth is you become more at risk for tooth decay due to the tight gaps between your teeth.
- Gum inflammation: Inflamed gum is a complication of a partially erupted wisdom tooth. As the wisdom tooth tries to make it to the surface, a gum flap will develop over the partially erupted tooth. The gum flap creates a space for bacteria to thrive and infect both the tooth or the gums.
- Complications associated with TMJ disorder: TMJ disorder is a condition that causes pain on the jaws and the surrounding area due to temporomandibular joint problems. A growing wisdom tooth can add more pressure to the jaws and make TMJ worse.
- Sinus complication: The upper wisdom teeth are close to our sinuses. In some cases, a growing wisdom tooth puts a lot of pressure on the sinus, which triggers sinus headaches and infections.
Let Meramec Family Dentistry help you decide if you can keep your wisdom teeth
Our wisdom teeth are our most efficient and strongest molar during prehistoric times. Now that they lost their purpose and become a cause of dental issues, removing your wisdom teeth would be the smart choice.
In providing the best wisdom teeth removal in Arnold, Meramec Family Dentistry provides two types of tooth extraction to cater to the dental needs of our community.
We provide simple extractions for less complicated wisdom tooth removal and surgical extraction for an impacted wisdom tooth and other complex cases. We also provide dental sedation services for patients who are suffering from dental anxiety. Call us now to schedule your appointment and learn more about your wisdom tooth.
