Disadvantages of Wisdom Teeth Extraction

The reason individuals tend to have problems with their wisdom teeth is they are the last teeth they get. They erupt through the gum when a person is between 17 and 21 years old. At that point, the inside of the mouth is already quite crowded, which leaves very little room for the wisdom teeth to come through. Wisdom teeth were important at one time because humans tended to lose their teeth. When this happened, they could rely on these late arrivals for chewing purposes. Most humans do not lose their teeth as much as they did in the past, so wisdom teeth now serve no purpose, notes Romow.com.

Complicated Process

• The extraction of wisdom teeth can be complicated and usually requires the services of an oral surgeon. The extraction can result in bleeding, pain, lower lip numbness and persistent sinus opening, according to Yourdentistryguide.com. On the other hand, keeping your wisdom teeth can result in jaw pain, sinus impairment and the shifting of teeth that are in the vicinity of the wisdom teeth.

Age

• The older you are the more difficult and risky the procedure is. If you are 50 or older, bone has fused to the teeth, which makes the process more complicated. Numbness in the area of the extracted tooth may occur.

Risks

• According to Dr. Eric K. Curtis, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry as well as a dentist in private practice, there is always the risk of infection when surgery is complete. The jaw can also be fractured. Sometimes numbness persists post surgery because of nerve damage from pulling the teeth.

Recovery

• Recovery from wisdom tooth extraction can take up to a week. The actual gum will need three to four weeks to completely heal. Sometimes the jaw is damaged during the process. If this occurs, it can take six months for the jaw to recover.