If you are like many people, you have had your wisdom teeth removed at some point. According to research, over 10 million wisdom teeth are removed each year in the U.S., though over 60 percent of the time surgery is not needed to alleviate an existing problem. As to why so many of these teeth are removed prior to any problems developing, the answer also lies in research. Based on various studies, most Americans have a 70-75 percent chance of developing complications later on from wisdom teeth that have not been removed. If you’re wondering about the specifics of why removing wisdom teeth is so important, here are a few of the most common reasons.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When wisdom teeth stay hidden within the gums rather than emerge in a normal fashion, the result is impacted wisdom teeth. Once this happens and they are thus trapped within your jaw, the result can be infections or cysts that wind up causing damage to teeth roots or potentially the jawbone itself.
Crowding Nearby Teeth
When wisdom teeth begin to emerge, one of the most common problems is they begin to crowd nearby teeth. As a result, the wisdom teeth will not have enough room to come in properly, resulting in them coming in crooked. When this occurs, you will likely begin to have substantial pain in your jaw and teeth that may eventually get damaged by the wisdom teeth. For many people who are preparing to get braces on their teeth, wisdom teeth are removed as a preventive measure to ensure crowding does not occur.
Hard to Clean
Since wisdom teeth are located at the very back of your mouth, those that emerge only partially can be very hard to clean when trying to brush. As a result, this allows food particles to accumulate, eventually resulting in harmful bacteria forming in and around the teeth. When this happens, it is the perfect environment for oral infections, which can make an already tough problem even tougher.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Since wisdom teeth have the potential to cause many different types of dental problems for people, many dentists recommend having them removed while a person is still relatively young. In most cases, this means having them removed when a patient is in their teens, since this ensures the roots and bones within the teeth and jaw are not yet fully formed. Also, by having the wisdom teeth removed at a younger age, this often means a person is able to recover much faster from the surgery.
Gum Disease and Tooth Decay
When wisdom teeth are left alone and thus come in at an awkward angle, they are setting the stage for gum disease and tooth decay to take place later on. As stated earlier, they will damage other teeth and be very hard to keep clean, even if you brush your teeth on a regular basis. Rather than wait until other nearby teeth have started to decay and gums become very sensitive due to gingivitis, having wisdom teeth removed early on can eliminate many potential dental problems as you age.
Tumor Development
In rare instances, wisdom teeth that do not come in properly or at all may lead to the formation of tumors within a person’s mouth or jaw. Should this happen, surgery becomes necessary to not only remove the wisdom teeth, but also the tumors. Since there is always a possibility a tumor could turn out to be malignant, it is much better to remove wisdom teeth prior to having a serious situation such as this develop.
Since the removal of wisdom teeth is a complex surgical procedure, you should always make sure you fully understand what is involved. If you are having problems with your wisdom teeth or believe it may be best to have them removed as a preventive measure, speak to an oral surgeon and discuss your concerns.
