Is It Really Important to Have My Wisdom Teeth Removed?

It’s perfectly understandable that someone would be hesitant to have any of their teeth removed, but having your wisdom teeth extracted can be an excellent move for your oral health in the long term. These troublesome third molars can cause a variety of dental and oral health issues such as infections, misalignments, and even tooth loss. Here’s a quick guide to a few of the problems wisdom teeth can cause as well as how removing them can be the best course of treatment.

Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

In prehistoric times, humans lived on a diet of raw meat and fibrous plant matter. Since people hadn’t figured out how to cook yet, they needed the additional chewing power the wisdom teeth provide to reduce the foods they ate into a pulp that was easy to swallow. In the thousands of years since people started cooking their food, the wisdom teeth became less necessary and jaws became smaller, making it harder for these third molars to fit in. Interestingly, a person today may be less likely to need wisdom teeth extractions if they eat more fibrous foods during childhood.

What Problems Can Wisdom Teeth Cause?

The emerging wisdom teeth can cause a range of oral health complications that includes:

Misalignment

If the mouth does not have enough room for the emerging wisdom teeth, they can force the other teeth out of alignment as they push their way in. This can make teeth harder to clean, easier to injure, and more prone to infection, and it can be especially frustrating for people who spent months or years doing the hard work of complying with orthodontic treatments in their teens.

TMJ issues

When the wisdom teeth emerge, they can sometimes throw the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) out of alignment due to stress and exhaustion. TMJ issues can lead to uncomfortable clicking and popping while moving the jaw as well as headaches, backaches, and neck pain.

Infections

If the wisdom teeth come in at an odd angle or fail to emerge completely from the gums, they become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can provide shelter in the pockets between them and the gum tissue in which harmful bacteria can rapidly multiply. This can lead to oral infections like gum disease as well as bone erosion.

If your dentist recommends that you have your wisdom teeth removed, you can rest assured that it is for a very good reason. Wisdom teeth extractions can end chronic pain and set you up for life with a healthier smile.

About the Author

Dr. Franco Cordini earned his dental degree from the Creighton University School of Dentistry and completed his periodontal specialist training at the University of Louisville. He has over twenty years of experience as a periodontist and loves helping patients achieve better oral health. His office in Louisville, KY, offers dental implants, periodontal therapy, and surgical periodontics such as wisdom tooth extractions. To learn more about how wisdom tooth extractions can help preserve your oral health, contact his office online or dial (502) 425-5010.