Why Do Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?

Have you ever wondered why so many people get their wisdom teeth removed? If your dentist or oral surgeon has recommended that your wisdom teeth are removed, here’s what you need to know about wisdom teeth removal, including what wisdom teeth are, and what recovery looks like.

What Are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are actually just your back molars, behind your regular molars. Because wisdom teeth are the last molars to come in, they are called wisdom teeth. Typically, wisdom teeth come in just before the age of 21 or thereabouts.

The Problem With Wisdom Teeth

The human jaw has developed over time and it’s no longer as big as it was in our ancestors. Some experts hypothesize that when brains became larger, jaws became smaller. So when a person starts to develop wisdom teeth, there may not be room in the jaw for them. Wisdom teeth can alter the alignment of the rest of the teeth, causing problems later on. In addition, wisdom teeth themselves may not come in correctly. Wisdom teeth may come in nearly perfect, come in crooked, come in sideways or shift and move over time. Since you don’t really even need wisdom teeth, it’s often best to have them removed so that there is no chance for them to cause dental problems later on.

How Wisdom Teeth Are Removed

If you are having orthodontics treatment, and your wisdom teeth haven’t yet come in, your dentist may recommend that an oral surgeon remove your wisdom teeth from below the gum line. This is to protect your teeth from damage when the wisdom teeth eventually make an appearance. In a case like this, oral surgery is required to remove the wisdom teeth.

If you already have your wisdom teeth, your dentist may suggest that they be extracted to make more room for the rest of your teeth. In a case like this, an oral surgeon may do the extraction or a dentist may do it.

Recovering From Wisdom Teeth Removal

The length of time it takes to recover from wisdom teeth removal depends upon if it was oral surgery or just a standard tooth extraction. It will take longer to recover from oral surgery.

The removal of wisdom teeth is considered safe and effective. For more information about the process of removing wisdom teeth through oral surgery, please contact us today.