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Pros & Cons of Removing Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth removal is one of the most common oral surgery procedures, whether there is something wrong with the teeth or not. While there are many advantages to having these molars removed, there are several disadvantages as well and some dentists recommend not having them removed at all.

  1. Impacted Teeth

    • Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to cut through the gums. They grow in between the ages of 17 and 25 and are called such because people are thought to attain more wisdom the older they get. Often wisdom teeth do not come in correctly and become impacted in the gum. When that happens, it is wise to have them removed before an infection develops that is often accompanied by unbearable pain.

    Crowding the Mouth

    • Sometimes a mouth is just too small to accommodate wisdom teeth. They grow in crooked, which leaves the possibility of shifting other teeth out of place. If thousands of dollars were spent on braces to give you the ultimate smile, all of that money can go to waste if wisdom teeth crowd the mouth. Wisdom teeth are also hard to clean in a mouth where teeth are too close together. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria, so it is often best to have the teeth extracted.

    Why Fix What Is Not Broken?

    • While some dentists recommend wisdom tooth extraction as soon as they grown in to make sure problems never arise, others do not see a need to go through a surgery that may end being unnecessary if the teeth grow in the way they are meant to. Some people live all or most of their life with their wisdom teeth, but they will need to be removed if you ever need dentures.

    Complications From Surgery

    • Oral surgeons will not remove wisdom teeth if there is a current infection. It would need to clear first and there is always a possibility of another one after the procedure like there would be from any surgery. Also, a dry socket may occur where a blood clot forms in the now-empty area. This is very painful and can possibly be avoided by following post-op instructions correctly.

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