Why Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Extracted

While it’s perfectly natural for your wisdom teeth to emerge as you reach adulthood this can create major dental complications that need to be addressed.  For instance, as your wisdom teeth come through they can cause serious pain in your jaw, infections in your gums and overcrowd your existing teeth.

Most people have four wisdom teeth that usually emerge in their late teens or early twenties.  Your wisdom teeth are the last permanent teeth to come through and are located at the back corners of your mouth.  

Wisdom teeth are designed to grind hard nuts, raw plants and tough meats and were essential for our ancient ancestors.  However, as a result of modern food preparation techniques they are no longer necessary and they can often cause a wide range of dental problems.  Consequently, when the emergence of wisdom teeth causes problems for a patient, it’s best to have them safely extracted by your dentist.

Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Serious Pain and Discomfort

It can be extremely painful when your wisdom teeth emerge and if they position themselves incorrectly this pain can become a long term problem.  If your wisdom teeth are hurting then it could be due to overcrowding, gum infections or even damage to your jawbone.

Emerging Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Inflamed Gums

As your wisdom teeth emerge they can damage and inflame your gums.  For example, if the wisdom teeth don’t emerge at the correct angle they can cause your gums to swell up and make it harder to keep your molars clean, leading to cavities, infections and unnecessary tooth decay.

Your Wisdom Teeth Can Crowd Or Damage Your Other Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the very last to emerge in adulthood which means that they can overcrowd or damage your other teeth.  So even if your current teeth are in the correct position the emergence of your wisdom teeth can shift or damage the other teeth, causing pain and overcrowding in your mouth.

Overcrowded teeth are more difficult to keep clean and can quickly develop cavities and gum infections.  If your teeth become overcrowded it can also cause bite problems and negatively impact your otherwise perfect smile.

Wisdom Teeth Can Damage Your Jawbone

If you don’t have enough space in your mouth for the wisdom teeth to properly emerge this can cause serious damage to your jaw bone and the other existing teeth.  This can lead to impaired functionality in your mouth and is often very painful.

Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Sinus Problems

It might be surprising to learn, but your wisdom teeth can actually negatively impact your sinuses.  As your wisdom teeth grow their roots sometimes apply pressure to your sinuses which can lead to sinus infections and ongoing headaches or migraines.

For some people, their wisdom teeth emerge in the correct positions and do not cause overcrowding or other problems for the patient.  However, even in these cases, it may still be worth considering the removal of your wisdom teeth.  

This is because not only are wisdom teeth much harder to keep clean, which can lead to cavities and infections, but they can also reposition themselves at any time after they’ve emerged causing the overcrowding of your other teeth.

Impacted wisdom teeth are incorrectly positioned so they don’t emerge properly.  This can be painful and could cause serious problems for your oral health.  Sometimes wisdom teeth will not fully erupt and remain below the gum line.  This may be because the wisdom teeth are positioned at the wrong angle or blocked by the other teeth in your jawbone.  These impacted wisdom teeth can become infected and cause pericoronitis.  

Pericoronitis can lead to a wide range of oral health problems including swollen gums, bleeding, discharges of puss, swollen lymph nodes and serious pain which stops you from chewing properly.  Consequently, it’s usually safer to remove impacted wisdom teeth to mitigate the risks of future complications.

It’s essential that you speak with your dentist so they can assess the best course of action relating to your wisdom teeth.  The team at Harmony Dental of West Covina have experience in complex wisdom teeth removals and the expertise to ensure a successful long term outcome for you.