Wisdom teeth are notorious for causing problems that can damage healthy teeth and affect your overall health. For this reason, our team often recommends that our patients have their wisdom teeth removed before they start to be a nuisance. The following information will help you learn more about your wisdom teeth and how their removal could save you stress and pain.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Your wisdom teeth are your third molars. For most people, they erupt between the ages of 15 and 25. Most scientists believe that wisdom teeth are an evolutionary remnant from the time when humans’ diets consisted of tough roots that required extra power to chew. Nowadays, we don’t need our wisdom teeth!
Why Do We Remove Wisdom Teeth?
As wisdom teeth develop and erupt, they often cause issues with your other teeth. This occurs because most people’s jaws are not large enough to accommodate wisdom teeth. As wisdom teeth erupt, they can crowd your natural teeth and develop crookedly. Wisdom teeth can also become impacted. An impacted wisdom tooth only partially erupts because there is not enough space in the jaw for it to completely emerge. In addition to being painful, an impacted wisdom tooth can lead to an infection.
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Necessary for Me?
In order to determine whether you should remove your wisdom teeth, our team will consider several factors. First, we will take X-rays to keep an eye on your developing wisdom teeth. We will also consider the size of your jaw to see whether there is room for the wisdom teeth to properly erupt. Finally, we will consider your oral health history. For our patients who do need to remove their wisdom teeth, we typically recommend scheduling the procedure before wisdom teeth begin to erupt as this can help prevent potential problems before they arise.
Any Questions About Your Wisdom Teeth?
Please contact our office to ask us our team any questions about your wisdom teeth or to schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.