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Most teenagers and adults should not elect to keep their wisdom teeth. They no longer serve any functional purpose in the mouth, and they are difficult to clean, which often results in huge cavities and the need for tooth extractions as an adult. Most people opt to get them taken out early with their dentists. But for those who don’t or end up waiting too long to get them pulled, you might need an experienced oral surgeon to remove the wisdom tooth who can prevent any harm from happening to the surrounding teeth or nerves in the mouth.
Reasons You Need to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed
Our oral surgeons can remove your painful, impacted and crooked wisdom teeth so that they stop causing you pain and discomfort. Your wisdom teeth are the third molars, and they are located in the very back of your mouth. They typically erupt during the teen years, but for some people, they may not erupt until the age of 25.
1. They Are Not Fully Erupted (Impacted)
Impacted third molars are teeth that have not fully erupted through the gum line. This can cause pain, swelling, and infections that can negatively affect the nearby teeth.
2. They Are Sideways Under The Gum Line
Wisdom teeth do not always form correctly under the gum line. They can develop sideways or severely angled. These molars will never erupt properly, and if left in place, they could cause severe pain and infections. If a severely crooked wisdom tooth does erupt, it can displace the other teeth, causing crowding. For this reason, our maxillofacial surgeon recommends having these teeth surgically removed.
3. They Are Crowding The Other Teeth
Even if your wisdom teeth erupt fully, there may not be enough room in your mouth for all your teeth, including your wisdom teeth. Over time, your wisdom teeth can push all your other teeth forward, resulting in crooked, crowded teeth. When this happens, you have to have your wisdom teeth removed and wear braces or clear aligners to help return your teeth to their normal positions. In order to avoid this scenario, it’s best to have your wisdom teeth removed as soon as they start erupting.
4. They Are Causing You Pain Or Discomfort
As your wisdom teeth erupt, you may have pain and discomfort for a few days to a couple of weeks. If your pain and discomfort last longer than a couple of weeks, it’s time to have them removed. Likewise, if they have erupted and you are suddenly experiencing pain, swelling, or discomfort in the back of your mouth or around your temporomandibular joint, you may want to consider having them removed. Pain after your wisdom teeth have erupted can indicate a deep cavity or infection in the gum. The best form of treatment is to have them extracted.
5. You Can’t Brush Them Properly
Since these molars are located at the very back of the mouth, they can be hard to reach with a toothbrush. If you can’t properly brush them, they will develop cavities, and you could start to develop gum disease.
Wisdom Teeth Removal and Oral Surgery Services
Our oral surgeon can evaluate your mouth and wisdom teeth to see if wisdom tooth extraction would be right for you. If you do need to have them removed, our surgeon will provide instructions to help you get prepared for your oral surgery, post-operative instructions, and help you avoid common complications, like dry socket and infections.
In addition to wisdom tooth removal, we also offer gum grafting, bone grafting, and dental implants in Suntree and Melbourne. To schedule an appointment to see if your wisdom teeth need to be removed, give us a call at 321-725-5377 for our Melbourne oral surgeon’s office or 321-255-7724 for our Suntree office.
