Most people have their wisdom teeth removed at some point, often in their late teens or early twenties. But why exactly is it so important to have these teeth extracted? In this blog, we'll look at why removing your wisdom teeth is important.
1. Maintain Dental Alignment
When wisdom teeth come in, they can push other teeth out of alignment and create crowding issues within your mouth. Crowding can lead to problems with chewing and speaking clearly. By removing wisdom teeth, you can help maintain the proper alignment of the rest of your teeth and prevent future crowding-related dental issues.
2. Prevent Inflammation and Infection
When wisdom teeth don't come in properly, pockets of bacteria can form around them. Even when they do erupt correctly, wisdom teeth can be difficult to clean properly due to their location in the back of your mouth. Food particles trapped around them can cause inflammation and infection if not addressed quickly. Removing the wisdom teeth reduces the risk of these complications occurring.
3. Prevent Cysts and Tumors
Over time, an impacted wisdom tooth can also cause cysts or tumors in the surrounding area due to an accumulation of bacteria from food particles. These issues need addressing quickly as they can cause damage to nearby teeth or bone structures if left untreated.
4. Prevent Future Dental Issues
When a person's bite is misaligned due to an impacted tooth, it puts extra stress on other parts of the mouth, which can lead to more serious dental problems, such as gum disease or cavities in other teeth that weren't there before the alignment issue began. Removing the offending tooth will restore balance and decrease the chances of these future issues occurring in the first place.
5. Prevent Sinus Problems
Wisdom teeth can push against nearby structures like sinuses, which could lead to headaches or sinus infections if left untreated for too long. By having your wisdom teeth extracted, you reduce the risk of any complications that could arise from impaction near these delicate structures.
6. Prevent Jaw Problems
Jaw problems are more likely if you have multiple impacted wisdom teeth pushing against other teeth and causing misalignment within your bite pattern. This eventually leads to severe pain in both jaws when eating or speaking. Removing these extra molars before any serious damage occurs will save you from experiencing unnecessary discomfort in both jaws.
7. Prevent Periodontal Disease
Since wisdom teeth are difficult to clean due to their location at the back of the mouth, they're more prone to developing periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can lead to bone damage, gum recession, and infection of surrounding tissues if left untreated. You can easily avoid this issue by removing the wisdom teeth before they arise.
8. Alleviate and Prevent Pain
One of the most common reasons to have wisdom teeth extracted is pain relief. Wisdom teeth often grow in at an angle or sideways, which can cause them to press against other teeth or become stuck in the jawbone.
More often than not, people experience pain and discomfort and difficulty chewing or speaking. By removing wisdom teeth, you can alleviate existing pain and prevent future pain from occurring.
If you are experiencing discomfort from your wisdom teeth, visit a dental professional and discuss the possibility of having them extracted. An extraction may seem inconvenient and uncomfortable, but it can provide great relief and improve your overall dental health in the long run.
Contact us at Advanced Dental Care for more information if you're interested in having your wisdom teeth extracted. Our professionals will give you a comprehensive checkup and extract your wisdom tooth if necessary.
