33432 Dentist Discusses Tooth Extraction

Almost everyone develops wisdom teeth in the teenage years or early twenties. Some lucky people develop no wisdom teeth at all, and some unlucky people develop more than four, sometimes even after the first four have been removed! However, the vast majority of people will develop four wisdom teeth as a young adult, and essentially everyone stands to benefit from having wisdom teeth removed. If you’ve ever wondered why this is the case, and why you can’t just keep your wisdom teeth, consider these four reasons to have them removed. 

 

Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Crowding of Other Teeth

 

One of the most common reasons to have wisdom teeth removed is the fact that most people’s mouths simply are not big enough to accommodate 32 teeth (as opposed to 28). Still, this fact often does not prevent wisdom teeth from erupting (or attempting to erupt) into a full arch of teeth. When this happens, the eruption is often erratic and angled in a way that pushes on the neighboring teeth. This has several effects, often including pain and discomfort, but the long-term effect is that the neighboring teeth can shift and cause crowding throughout the entire arch. By removing wisdom teeth, particularly the lower ones, this problem is avoided. 

 

Wisdom Teeth Can Change Your Bite

 

Because they cause crowding in the mouth, wisdom teeth often alter the bite pattern detrimentally. A skewed bite pattern can result in premature wear of the teeth, resulting in weaker teeth more susceptible to decay and fracture. A misaligned bite can also contribute to bruxism (tooth grinding) and TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). 

 

Wisdom Teeth Are Hard To Keep Clean

 

If your wisdom teeth erupt into the mouth like the rest of your teeth, you might think that they are ok to stay where they are. But aside from the crowding issue, wisdom teeth are notoriously difficult to keep clean, due to their place at the back of the mouth. Bottom wisdom teeth are hard to reach, particularly on the outer sides, since the jaw and cheek are in close proximity to the teeth, making it hard to fit a toothbrush into the space. Upper wisdom teeth often erupt incompletely and are flared toward the cheek, making it very difficult to reach every surface with a toothbrush. Because they are so hard to keep clean, wisdom teeth very often develop cavities. 

 

Fillings on Wisdom Teeth Can Be Challenging (or Impossible)

 

When wisdom teeth invariably develop cavities, it’ easy to assume that they can simply be treated with dental fillings. However, due to their cumbersome positioning, placing fillings in wisdom teeth is often very difficult, if not impossible. Even if fillings can be placed, recurrent decay is very likely to develop around the filling at some point. 

 

All in all, having your wisdom teeth removed is a much easier and more favorable treatment than trying to keep them clean and problem-free for a lifetime. Although the actual process of wisdom tooth removal may seem daunting, it is actually quite simple and is a routine, outpatient procedure. Having your wisdom teeth removed means one less potential oral health problem. 

 

Have questions for your 33432 dentist? Please give our office a call today at 561-391-0020.