Authored by Kristian Keefer in Dentistry
Published on 02-24-2009
You might be asking yourself, “should I get rid of wisdom teeth?” Whether or not you get rid of your wisdom teeth will depend on your age, if you are having trouble with your wisdom teeth or any severe risks to your health if you undergo wisdom teeth removal. It is best to decide if your wisdom teeth should be removed around the ages of 16 to 21. When you are a minor, your parents will help you to make the decision.
You will want consider having your wisdom teeth removed if they are causing you a lot of pain and discomfort. Your wisdom teeth might be impacted or be growing/have grown in at an angle that is causing pain. Depending on the direction of your wisdom teeth and if they are impacted in the gums, you can develop infections if you leave in your wisdom teeth.
When your wisdom teeth do not break up through the gums to the top where they are supposed to be, there can be a gap between your gums and the wisdom teeth. As a result food residue and nasty bacteria can accumulate. This is not something you want, because pericoronitis can result. With this condition you will have swelling in your gums along with pain. You can notice a bad taste in your mouth from the bacteria and even might have bad breath. The infection can become so severe that it can be difficult to open your jaw completely.
If you are more than thirty years of age, it is probably best not to remove your wisdom teeth. In fact, if you have not had any or much trouble with your wisdom teeth at that point in time, it is not likely that you will have problems. Doctors recommend having your wisdom teeth removed by the age of 20 or 21 for the best results.
There are many things to take into consideration if you think you would like to have your wisdom teeth removed. If you have a bleeding disorder, you will want to talk to your physician as well as your dentist to determine if you should have your wisdom teeth removed. If you will have the procedure, precautions will need to be taken to minimize the risk of complications from bleeding.
It is essential to discuss with the dentist the location of the wisdom tooth or teeth that will be removed. Those teeth in the upper jaw can be located near the sinus cavity. In rare cases an opening can present in the sinus cavity, causing further problems.
It is possible that other work that has been done in your mouth could be damaged when your wisdom teeth are removed. If you have had crowns, bridges or other dental procedures, talk to your dentist to determine any risk of damage to that dental work.
Some people experience difficulty in healing of their gums. For some people the process is very slow and potentially painful. In addition, the anesthesia used during wisdom teeth extraction should wear off within a number of hours, however, some people experience long term or even permanent numbness in areas of their mouth or jaw.
Talk to your dentist before consenting to wisdom teeth removal. You should carefully consider the risks and benefits of the procedure before making a final decision.
