Why Earlier Wisdom Teeth Removal Better Than Later?

Is It Better to Remove Wisdom Teeth Early

Wisdom teeth removal

February 7, 2023February 9, 2023

Among all those people who have wisdom teeth, it’s common to think about the need for their wisdom teeth to be pulled out or left as it is. In most cases, wisdom teeth turn out to be problematic as they bring a lot of oral health issues along with them. Dentists might recommend many people for their wisdom teeth extraction and ask for the dental procedure to be done without any delays. Still, have questions in mind such as Is it better to remove wisdom teeth early? Read on, to know more about wisdom teeth, why people go for wisdom tooth extraction, and why dentists say it’s important to remove wisdom teeth as soon as possible.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars that come later in life, typically emerging at ages between 17 to 21, after all, other 28 permanent teeth are in their place. Some people have them in numbers ranging from 1 to 4 while others may never develop them. It has the same function as that of the molars. Some people likely have wisdom teeth because of an evolutionary purpose- to help chew hard foods found in wild like nuts, meats, and raw vegetables.

Why do I Need to Get my Wisdom Teeth Removed?

The removal of wisdom teeth depends upon several factors. It could be considered as a preventive measure or as a response to some complications of wisdom teeth eruption.

There is a possibility that wisdom teeth turn out to be just passive bystanders and do not cause any dental concerns. But, that’s not true for everyone. Most people do get their wisdom teeth impacted over time, meaning that their wisdom teeth are not poking out through the gums, and even if they do they show up at an angle or the far back of the mouth resulting in misalignment of other teeth. The wisdom teeth may not grow correctly when there is a lack of space in the teeth set due to reduced jaw size. Moreover, their position inside the mouth could also make their cleaning harder, hence causing various other oral health issues. For such reasons, dentists recommend people for wisdom teeth removal.

Other than these, wisdom teeth may even cause issues such as-

Frequent toothache, redness or swelling of the jawbone, or even stiffness of the jaw due to infection
Gum disease (Periodontitis)
Tooth decay, dental cavities or caries, bad breath, or difficulty with oral hygiene
Cysts (sacs filled with bacteria-based fluids) in the jawbone
Damage or disruption of nearby teeth and overcrowding.

If any of the above-mentioned complications are noticed by anyone, it’s an indication that wisdom teeth must be removed timely.

Why Sooner is Better for Wisdom Teeth Removal?

The benefits of going for wisdom teeth extraction earlier in life often outweigh the benefits of leaving the wisdom teeth for time being and hoping that nothing negative happens. Here are the pros of removing wisdom teeth sooner:

Speedy Recovery- By removing wisdom teeth at a young age, the person would heal quickly.
Easier to Perform- The roots of the wisdom teeth would not be fully developed at a younger age which means there would be less portion of the tooth that needs to be pulled out, which reduces the size of the extraction. In adults, the procedure is more challenging as the jawbones are much harder and the wisdom teeth have fully developed roots securely connected to the jawbone.
Prevention of Alignment Issues- Even a minor shift can result in a slight overlap in the bottom four or the front two teeth. When wisdom teeth continue to grow or develop, they will put some pressure on the other existing teeth, which will cause those teeth to move out of their alignment.
Prevention of Oral Health Issues- The longer the person would wait to get their wisdom teeth removed, the more will be their chance of running into different oral health issues. These include infection, gum disease, tooth decay or cavities, damage to healthy adjacent teeth and nerves, overcrowding, bad-smelling breath, cysts, abscesses, or tumors formation around the wisdom teeth.

Benefits of Wisdom Tooth Removal

Less crowding results in fewer orthodontic issues.

When wisdom teeth grow and emerge, they can cause crowding and damage to adjacent molars. When there is insufficient space, wisdom teeth might cause alignment issues when other teeth are gradually displaced. Therefore, removing your wisdom teeth minimizes the likelihood of needing braces or other expensive orthodontics to repair misaligned teeth. If you’ve already had braces, removing your wisdom teeth minimizes the possibility of your smile being undone.

Prevent Injury To Neighboring Teeth

The pressure exerted by wisdom teeth can cause neighboring teeth to lose their roots or their enamel, leaving them vulnerable to cavities and bone loss. Moreover, the wisdom teeth themselves are difficult to access, as is their cleaning. Wisdom teeth that have fully surfaced and erupted painfully are deemed impacted. These take a lot of effort to keep clean. First Point Dental can help you avoid costly root canals and fillings.

Reduce the likelihood of oral disease and inflammation.

Long-term retention of damaged wisdom teeth might result in dental cavities and gum disease. Inflammation of the gums, which can be extremely difficult to manage, is a common consequence of impacted wisdom teeth. Infections beneath the gums can affect nerves or enter the circulation, developing into a life-threatening condition known as sepsis that affects the rest of the body.

However, for some patients, the removal of wisdom teeth later in life could be beneficial for keeping up the smile aesthetics and good overall oral health. This is because as long as the wisdom teeth do not erupt and hit any nerves or come in crooked, there is a chance of the other teeth pushing closer together and bringing close the large gaps in a smile that the patient may not have particularly cared for. However, the good news is that the patients who would regularly maintain their oral health and go for routine dental visits would find their wisdom teeth extraction simpler and done in less time with minimal or no pain.

Lastly, it’s always advised to go with what the dentist recommends as the dentist would always know best about their patient’s oral health and will only make appropriate recommendations for their wisdom teeth removal.

If you are interested in undergoing wisdom tooth removal in Chicago and want to know more about this procedure. Consult today with the wisdom tooth removal surgeon at First Point Dental Clinic.

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