Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Last updated November 28th, 2009
About.com/Dentistry recently ran a very informative article about whether or not you should have your wisdom teeth removed. Also known as “third year molars,” wisdom teeth bother some people and have absolutely no impact on other people.
For example, some people’s wisdom teeth come in without a problem; other people’s molars erupt and cause major problems, such as putting teeth out of alignment. Or the molars can come in at an odd angle, causing discomfort. And sometimes, the wisdom teeth can sit undisturbed beneath the gums for years — with nary a problem.
The people who have no problems with their wisdom teeth are in the minority, however. I’ve been in private practice for seventeen years and have witnessed only a handful of patients who do not have problems with their wisdom teeth when they have erupted. All the other thousands of patients have had their oral health compromised directly due to their third molars.
From a prevention standpoint I am a strong advocate of removal of third molars when they have erupted. I am not an oral surgeon so I can’t speak to the statistics of cysts forming around impacted third molars, but I can speak to the decay and periodontal disease I see due to third molars.
Some of the most common problems I’ve encountered are deep decay with difficult access for restoring the tooth and the need for endodontic therapy on second molars due to decay from food impaction.
Another problem I’ve seen is that as patients age and the mandible (or lower jaw) reabsorbs, many impacted wisdom teeth begin to erupt through the gingiva. It is not fun to be 50 years old and requiring a partial boney extraction. Additionally, I have had a healthy patient who was close to hospitalization due to a deep soft tissue infection from a mandibular fully erupted wisdom tooth.
I educate my patients regarding the risks involved with keeping third molars and once they understand the problem, they’re able make an informed decision.
If you’re worried about your third molars, see your dentist. Ask to look at the x-rays and ask as many questions as you need to understand the impact of your wisdom teeth on your oral health.
