3 Reasons to Schedule Wisdom Teeth Removal

The question of whether or not to take wisdom teeth out is a popular concern for many patients as they enter young adulthood. This is the time when wisdom teeth problems develop or there are strong indications that they are about to. If you’ve been told that your wisdom teeth need to be extracted, rest assured that this is a very common procedure and one that can save you from very disruptive consequences. Many patients simply don’t have enough jaw space to allow these back molars to erupt properly, and they certainly don’t provide enough functional benefit to try to keep them if they are compromising your dental health.

Here are a few situations in which wisdom teeth removal would be in the best interest of your smile:

Partial Eruption
In some cases, wisdom teeth may only partially come in. Unfortunately, this can leave an opening in your gum line that can harbor bacteria and food, allowing this debris to enter your gum tissues and cause infection. Once the gums are infected or diseased, the surrounding bones and adjacent teeth are at risk.

Impacted Against Adjacent Teeth
An impacted wisdom tooth is one of the most serious and painful threats. If the wisdom tooth grows sideways or gets trapped below the gum line, it is considered impacted. This places pressure against the adjacent teeth and can cause damage such as bone loss, tooth resorption, infection, or decay. If there are signs of an infected or impacted tooth, such as swelling, bad breath or jaw pain, your wisdom teeth will likely need removal.

Erupted But Diseased
Perhaps your wisdom did emerge completely and even properly. However, their position is so far in the back of your mouth that you have a difficult time keeping them cleaned. It is not uncommon for patients to suffer from decay and gum disease near their wisdom teeth, simply due to the anatomy of the mouth and jaws and the challenge of getting their toothbrush and floss against these final set of molars.

To find out if you are at risk for these potential wisdom teeth problems, schedule an appointment with Dr. Hye Park at Green Dental of Alexandria. We can evaluate the condition of your wisdom teeth and recommend the most appropriate treatment plan to protect the long-term health of your smile.