Wisdom teeth usually crop up in your smile between the ages of 17 and 25. While you may initially believe that having extra teeth is a good thing, the emergence of can cause future problems. This is especially true if you had to fight for a beautiful smile through braces or other teeth alignment methods. Our Grand Rapids family dentist tracks the progress of your wisdom teeth to determine if they will be a problem further down the road. In this blog post, we will go over the reasons why a patient might need wisdom tooth extraction.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Many people simply do not have room in their mouth for extra teeth. If are left alone, they will push other teeth out of the way to make room. The result is a mouth crowded with crooked teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth are responsible for a host of oral health problems. For example, if your wisdom teeth don’t have room to fully erupt from the gum line, infections or cavities can take root. Impacted wisdom teeth can also make it hard for you to floss and brush your teeth, causing food particles to collect around the tooth in question.
Crooked Wisdom Teeth
Another potential problem with wisdom teeth is that they may not come in straight, causing your other teeth to shift. With each dentist appointment, our tooth extraction dentist takes x-rays to monitor the progress of your wisdom teeth. Through these dental x-rays, we can track the movement of your wisdom teeth and predict their future path before they break through your gum line.
Non-Erupting Wisdom Teeth
Are your wisdom teeth refusing to come in, or have only partially emerged through the gum line? Wisdom teeth that don’t drop down completely, or at all, can quickly become a health liability. For example, cysts can develop around the area of the non-erupting wisdom tooth.
Pericoronitis, a type of bacterial infection, can also be common among those with partially erupted wisdom teeth. Pericoronitis happens when the gums surrounding the become swollen and infected.
Preventative Action
While it is ultimately your decision to have your , if you identify with any of the above symptoms, we strongly suggest you consider wisdom tooth removal. Our dentists make sure to prevent any misalignment from occurring by marking the progress of your wisdom teeth coming down.
It’s not uncommon for wisdom teeth to be extracted before they erupt through the gum line. This could be the case if your dentist sees there isn’t enough room in your jaw to accommodate extra teeth. Preemptive wisdom tooth extraction can also protect smiles from crooked wisdom teeth pushing other teeth out of the way. Impacted wisdom teeth can undo years of orthodontic work if not removed.
Ready to Make Your Appointment?
Dr. Yun DDS at NorthPointe Family Dental strives to help patients maintain beautiful healthy smiles through dental services. If you are anticipating having your , please do not hesitate to call our Grand Rapids family dentist at northpointefamilydental@gmail.com to schedule your next appointment.