The Wisdom Of Having Wisdom Teeth Out

By Sivakumar Sreenivasan, DMD, MDS

Dental Implant Center of Rockville

. https://www.drsreeni.com/

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The Wisdom Of Having Wisdom Teeth Out

“Wisdom teeth” as the name implies erupt into the mouth in the late teens/early twenties. They have however become an unnecessary part of the adult dentition as most of the time there is no space to accommodate them. With the last two generations growing up eating out of cans and bottles with no stimulation to the jaw muscles, the face and jaw end up being smaller in size unable to accommodate the wisdom teeth. In some teenagers they end up getting not only their wisdom teeth out but also four adult premolars to make room for their crowded teeth to get straightened with braces.

The best time to have the wisdom teeth out is in the last few years of high school and before graduating from college to take advantage of all the breaks from school and college. Delaying removal can lead to pain as the teeth still try to come in and cause gum swelling and infection. Sometimes the wisdom teeth are blamed for causing crowding of teeth especially after spending many years in braces to straighten teeth.

Results of recent studies show that there is great wisdom in removal of these early on while the individuals are still young. As we all know, young people heal faster and are back on their feet within a few days of the surgery.

Chances of periodontal disease starting at the site of the wisdom teeth and spreading to the rest of the mouth is considerable. Gum disease affects one's general health in many ways including heart disease and chances of preterm labor in a woman of child bearing age. Research suggests that 80% of asymptomatic wisdom teeth will end up with complaints related to gum disease or cavities, so the old adage, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” is not a good one when it comes to wisdom teeth. As they get impacted, there may be areas of food accumulation that can lead to cavities not only in the wisdom teeth but also in the tooth next to it. This can lead to loss of not just the wisdom tooth, but a very useful molar as well. This will then necessitate replacement with an implant and implant crown.

Wisdom teeth removal is a relatively straight forward procedure and can be done under general anesthesia right in your Oral Surgeon's office. The recovery period is short and can be completely managed with good post-operative care. Most insurance companies pay for these procedures and that is another good reason to have your children take advantage of this benefit while they may still be under your insurance policy.