How a Wisdom Tooth Extraction Affects Other Teeth

Wisdom tooth extraction affects other teeth in an almost entirely positive way. It largely comes down to risk management: By resolving the problem of wisdom teeth struggling to arrive in your mouth, you also reduce the risk of infection, overcrowding and decay. While any surgery has its own risks, the choice to remove wisdom teeth will arguably do far more good than harm.

Room to Breathe

• Many dentists and oral surgeons argue that the removal of impacted wisdom teeth (molars under the gumline that don't have enough room to grow) takes pressure off teeth that might otherwise crowd or bunch in surrounding areas. Because wisdom teeth tend to come into the mouth at a forward angle, they press directly against already-existing teeth, a little like a slow-moving battering ram. Consistent stress caused by the movements of these ingrown molars can lead to damage not only to other teeth, but to the gums, jaw and general nerve tract. When wisdom teeth are removed, that stress is alleviated, and the mouth can settle into a more comfortable and natural design.

Plaque Prevention

• Because impacted wisdom teeth tend to crowd nearby molars, the spaces in between one's teeth become tighter, allowing plaque and other oral bacteria to gather in areas that grow increasingly difficult to reach with a toothbrush. Removing impacted wisdom teeth opens these gaps, which increases an individual's opportunities to brush and floss away the buildup that causes tooth decay and bad breath.

Healthy Gums

• Both impacted wisdom teeth and teeth that are working to erupt (come through the gumline) can cause infection within the oral cavity. Because the gums connect to all the teeth on either the top or bottom halves of the mouth, increased risk of bacterial growth at the site of a "struggling" wisdom tooth can lead to the infection and even deadening of teeth in other areas. In aggressive forms of gum diseases, like periodontitis, the gumline can actually separate and pull away from the teeth, leaving nooks and crannies of raw tissue that can become further infected. As the disease progresses, both dental and jaw bone can deteriorate and fall apart. As such, when wisdom teeth are safely removed, a patient cuts down on infections that risk his or her oral health.

Avoiding Cysts

• Because wisdom teeth grow within the confines of small sacs beneath the gumline, fluid can gather around the teeth, causing cysts to form. Cysts like these connect via nerve pathways to the rest of the mouth, endangering jaw, gum and dental tissue. On rare occasions, noncancerous tumors can form, requiring oral surgery to remove pieces of the jaw. When wisdom teeth are safely extracted, these sacs are deflated and fall away, reducing the risk of oral cysts and their effects on the rest of the mouth.