Wisdom Tooth Removal: When Does It Become Necessary?
Wisdom teeth, alternatively called your third molars are generally the last permanent teeth that erupt from your gums between 17 and 25. Most permanent teeth emerge around six or seven. Most children have 28 to 32 permanent teeth by 13. The remaining four wisdom teeth appear between 17 and 25.
Wisdom teeth extractions are a straightforward procedure, but similar to the tonsils, their removal isn’t always necessary. Therefore you might wonder when wisdom tooth extraction becomes necessary.
Healthy Wisdom Teeth
Before jumping into the question of getting wisdom teeth extractions near you and when they become necessary, let us jump the script to determine whether wisdom tooth removal is required.
If your wisdom teeth have erupted fully, are not interfering with your bite or alignment, and are positioned correctly, your dentist will likely not recommend their removal. Healthy wisdom teeth not causing any jaw pain or positioned incorrectly, making them challenging to clean, do not require removal. Unfortunately, wisdom teeth are generally problematic to warrant removal because they are either set incorrectly or impacted.
When Wisdom Tooth Extractions Become Necessary?
Wisdom tooth extractions are not age-specific, although many people tend to have wisdom teeth extractions in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, by 20 or earlier. However, the timing of their removal is often associated with whether there is a problem with their development or whether their presence causes dental pain or problems in the mouth like bite misalignments.
Generally, the following symptoms indicate wisdom teeth issues warranting removal by the dentist near you. The symptoms are jaw pain and swelling, tender, red, swollen, or bleeding gums at the back of the mouth, chronic bad breath, soft tissue infections in the posterior region of the mouth, tooth decay, gum disease, damage to neighboring molars, and cysts.
Of primary concern related to the eruption of wisdom teeth is a lack of spacing available in the jaw. The lack of space during the eruption can cause wisdom teeth to press against the neighboring teeth to cause pain, swelling, and bite irregularities. This condition is called impacted wisdom teeth erupting horizontally instead of vertically.
Even when wisdom teeth emerge correctly without pushing against the other teeth, you may not have adequate space in the mouth for proper brushing and flossing. The challenges leave you at risk of developing decay, gum disease, and other dental issues. In addition, gum tissue swelling compounds the problem to exacerbates dental concerns.
Although wisdom teeth extractions are generally associated with the problems mentioned above, there are instances in which healthy wisdom teeth are also removed. For example, if you are receiving orthodontic treatment with braces to help correct bite irregularities, wisdom teeth extractions can help make space for the crowded teeth to become realigned and simplify the procedure.
Trust Your Dentist
Given the nature of wisdom teeth problems and removal, your dentist starts monitoring their development in your mouth from the age of 14. X-rays help identify potential issues like impacted teeth to indicate the need for extractions. Your dentist also monitors the effects of the wisdom teeth on surrounding teeth to determine whether there is the potential for spacing problems that might cause discomfort, swelling, and other issues.
Most dentists recommend wisdom teeth extractions when required before the teeth have developed fully and their roots have taken hold. The recommendation makes removal easier and lessens recovery time.
You help yourself by understanding that you don’t need wisdom teeth to have a healthy and balanced smile. Your wisdom teeth do not play an essential role in your oral health, unlike other missing teeth that cause bite irregularities and other dental problems. Therefore, your dentist will likely not recommend wisdom teeth extractions if you don’t confront any dental issues with them. Although wisdom teeth extractions after 30 are rare, your dentist will continue monitoring them because latent issues can surface at any time.
Wisdom teeth can become cracked due to wear in later life like every other tooth. However, if the cracks are significant to warrant extensive restorations, such as root canals and crowns, dentists generally do not recommend repairing the wisdom tooth. Instead, they recommend the removal of the tooth to preserve your dental health.
If you experience pain and tenderness around your back molars, discuss the issue with Jordan and Pham dentistry to determine whether you need wisdom teeth extraction near you.