When should wisdom teeth be removed? Wisdom teeth are the third molars that usually appear in the late teens or early twenties. For some people, these teeth grow without causing any problems, but for others, they can be painful and problematic. In some cases, wisdom teeth need to be removed to avoid further dental issues.
Wisdom teeth removal is necessary in some cases, such as overcrowding, impaction, infection, or as a preventative measure.
Different reasons for wisdom teeth removal are:
Pain and infection.
The soft tissues, surrounding the partially erupted teeth, do get inflamed and infected, causing pain and inability to open the mouth. Sometimes, the pus formed in such infections , can move into tissue spaces and cause serious and deep infections.
Impacted teeth:
The third molars being the last of the teeth , to erupt in the mouth, do not have enough place to come out in the right position and place. This could cause them to tilt and erupt partially. These impactions could be either soft tissue(gum tissue) or hard tissue(bone). The impacted teeth can be left alone, if no problem is caused by them.
Decay and resorption:
The angulated and partially erupted molars could be a nuisance to the adjacent teeth. Because of the tilting, it is not easy to keep such areas clean. This can cause decay in the third as well as the adjacent molars.
Sometimes, the impacted third molars can get impacted against the roots of the second molars and cause them to resorb.
Crowding:
Previously it was thought that the erupting third molars could cause crowding in the mouth, by causing pressure on the neighbouring and front teeth. But studies have shown that the pressure caused by the erupting teeth is not very significant to cause problems of crowding. More research is being done with regards to the same.
Cysts:
Some of the impacted teeth could be associated with cysts and other pathology, which needs to be addressed as early as possible, to avoid complications.
Temporomandibular disorders
Frequent infections in the tissues and tissue spaces can cause joint problems and inability to open the mouth. Removing wisdom teeth can help prevent these problems
Conclusion:
Finally, some people may choose to have their wisdom teeth removed as a preventative measure, even if they are not causing any problems at the time. This is because, as people age, it can become more challenging to recover from wisdom tooth extraction, and complications are more likely to occur. Therefore, some dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth before the age of 25 to avoid any future problems.
It is essential to consult with a dentist to evaluate the need for wisdom teeth extraction and to determine the best course of action.