When is it Best to Extract a Wisdom Tooth?

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Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Most people get their wisdom teeth between the ages of 17 and 25. These teeth are called the third molars and were needed when are ancestral diets required more chewing power. Today’s foods generally do not require the need for wisdom teeth.,Our jaws are gradually evolving to become smaller, leaving less space for wisdom teeth.

Problems Caused by Wisdom Teeth

dentist in houstonThe common problem is to have an impacted wisdom tooth, and it’s essential to have this extracted due to the risk of localized disease, even if you don’t yet have any unpleasant symptoms such as pain or infection. Your dentist will be watching your wisdom teeth, making sure they don’t present any problems. But sometimes early signs can go unnoticed.

A typical example is the development of cysts, which can occasionally occur as a side-effect of having impacted teeth. These are small spaces within the jawbone which become filled with fluid. Both the upper and lower jaw can be affected. If the cyst becomes infected, then a patient is likely to experience swelling and pain. These cysts can grow and cause significant destruction to the jawbone and surrounding teeth. The patient often feels relatively few symptoms.

As the cyst grows, it can push the impacted tooth deeper into the jawbone. When this occurs, the extraction is a much more complex and invasive and expensive procedure. If the cyst has caused significant damage to the jawbone, then it may be necessary to have a bone graft. Luckily cysts are less common than infections, but their potential for destruction is far more substantial.

Listen to Your Dentist

If your dentist told you to have your wisdom teeth extracted, then, by all means, take his advice seriously. The sooner you have the treatment, the less likely you will develop complications later.

Is Early Extraction Wise?

Some dentists even advocate taking out people’s wisdom teeth while they are still teenagers. If someone has a small jaw or is likely to have problems with their wisdom teeth later on in life, then this may be a sensible option.

As you age, your bone gradually hardens and potentially making the wisdom teeth extraction more painful, challenging, and extends the healing time.

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