If you’re a young adult, you may have wisdom teeth coming in. That’s only natural – most adults get them at some point! In that case, though, most dentists would say you should get wisdom teeth removal. The chompers might not cause problems now, but they likely will in the future. To prove it, your local dental practice is here with the evidence. Read on, then, to learn what wisdom teeth are and why they often need to be extracted.
What are Wisdom Teeth?
Also known as third molars, wisdom teeth are the last (adult) pearly whites to appear in the mouth. They usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. However, not everyone develops them – these molars only occur in a part of the population.
Scientists today consider wisdom teeth “vestigial organs.” In other words, they’ve become virtually useless and aren’t strictly necessary. While humans may have needed wisdom teeth once, evolution has made them outmoded.
Why Should They Be Removed?
In most cases, wisdom teeth don’t have room to grow correctly. As a result, there’s a good chance they’ll get stuck below the gums and become impacted. They’d then cause various oral health complications.
For that reason, dentists often extract wisdom teeth when you’re relatively young. That way, they can do the following:
Prevent Gum Inflammation
If your wisdom teeth become impacted, gum tissue may swell around them. This swelling – called pericoronitis – can then form a flap that traps bacteria, causing inflammation and infection.
Unpleasant symptoms of pericoronitis include fever, severe back tooth pain, pus, facial swelling, and bad breath.
Avoid Dental Cysts
Impacted wisdom teeth can also trigger cysts – fluid-filled “balloons” in the jawbone and soft tissue. Left untreated, these balloons will hollow out your jaw and damage nerves. They may even result in a type of jaw tumor in severe cases.
Admittedly, most of these cysts are easy to treat in themselves. Even so, removing them becomes harder with wisdom teeth in the way.
Stop Nearby Tooth Damage
If a wisdom tooth can’t emerge properly, it’ll cause damage to surrounding teeth. From there, you might suffer gum disease, tooth decay, and cavities.
At the same time, bacteria won’t be the only worry. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems with crowding, even to the point that orthodontic work is necessary.
As you can see, wisdom teeth removal is often best when third molars arise. Therefore, talk to your dentist about treatment to keep your own from causing problems.
About the Practice
HJ Dental is based in Dallas, TX. Led by its wonderful and experienced dentists, our practice offers comprehensive dentistry for all ages. In particular, we perform preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments tailored to patient needs, as well as emergency dental care. Our office is also a certified provider of sedation services and wisdom teeth removal. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (214)-521-3148.