Understanding the Impact of Wisdom Teeth on Your Dental Health and What Can Happen If They Are Not Extracted

Chances are that, at some point in your life (typically as a young adult), your wisdom teeth – the third molars residing in the very back of your mouth – will need to be removed. There are several reasons to have your wisdom teeth removed, some of which we will discuss shortly. If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed and are living in the Greensboro, NC area, you should reach out to Dr. Steven Hatcher and his team at Triad Dentistry. At Triad Dentistry, Dr. Hatcher is performing wisdom teeth extractions that are safe, will lead to optimal dental health, and will allow you to have a beautifully aligned smile.

Not everybody will need to have their wisdom teeth extracted. You most likely will not need them removed if they are:

• Fully erupted and grown in
• Healthy
• Erupted with correct positioning and your bite is proper
• Can be cleaned daily as part of your regular dental hygiene practices

Problems with Wisdom Teeth

For many people, this will not be the case, and the wisdom teeth will need extraction. This is due to the tendency of wisdom teeth not having the room they require to grow properly leading to erupting teeth that have grown at different angles in the jaw. Wisdom teeth can even grow completely horizontal. Some problems with wisdom teeth include:

• Wisdom teeth can be completely hidden within the gums. When they are not able to emerge in a normal manner, they can become impacted (or trapped) within your jaw. This can result in numerous health complications including infection or cyst development that can damage nearby tooth roots or supporting bone.
• Wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge only partly from the gums. Due to the area being hard to see and clean, partially erupted wisdom teeth can create a passageway that will attract bacteria. This will lead to gum disease and oral infection.
• Wisdom teeth, which crowd nearby teeth because they do not have room to erupt properly can crowd and even damage adjacent teeth.

Dentists will recommend having wisdom teeth removed if they will not fully emerge. Many dentists will recommend this be done at a young age before roots and bone are completely developed. This is why you will hear many stories of people having the teeth removed in their younger years, usually in high school.

What Can Happen If You Don’t Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Wisdom teeth can be a topic of concern for dental patients. Dentists regularly, are being asked about these pesky little teeth including “How do I know if I need my wisdom teeth removed?”, “What happens if I elect not to have them removed?” and “Does the extraction hurt?”. These are all common questions and important as well. Wisdom teeth are confusing and, to some younger patients especially, scary to think about having them removed. As has been discussed, most people will have these teeth removed. It has been estimated that about 90% of Americans have them removed. So then, what happens if you choose not to have your wisdom teeth removed?

Overcrowding – The most common reason dentists recommend wisdom tooth extraction is overcrowding. For many, there is not enough room in their mouth to accommodate these new teeth. Dentists can detect this through the use of dental x-rays, which will show if there will be enough room or not. If there is not enough room and the wisdom teeth are not removed, overcrowding will occur. Additionally, they could erupt crooked or even cause an impaction. Impacted wisdom teeth simply mean that they are stuck in the jawbone underneath the gum line, which can be incredibly painful and lead to possible infection.

Coming in Sideways – Wisdom teeth can do something interesting. They can work themselves into a completely horizontal position and then erupt sideways out of the gums instead of vertically. When this happens, nearby healthy teeth can face serious damage. Your bite can also be affected leading to larger, serious, and painful dental problems.

Susceptible to Bacteria – Even in cases where wisdom teeth come in perfectly and present no danger to surrounding teeth, there is still risk involved. Since your wisdom teeth are located in the very back of your mouth, you may find them difficult to properly care for. They can be difficult to completely clean and, because of this, they will be susceptible to bacteria. This would inevitably lead to plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

When you come into Triad Dentistry for your wisdom teeth extraction, Dr. Hatcher and his talented staff will first sedate you and, using local anesthetics to eliminate any pain or discomfort, will then begin working on the extraction. If any of your wisdom teeth have become impacted, Dr. Hatcher will need to get into the bone to remove the impacted tooth properly and safely. Once your wisdom teeth have been extracted, you will be ready to leave. Dr. Hatcher will provide you with instructions on healing and aftercare. Healing times will vary from patient to patient and will also depend on how difficult the extraction was. A follow-up appointment will be set so that Dr. Hatcher can examine to see how your healing is progressing, and further instruction will be provided until you are fully healed.

If you are interested in learning more about wisdom teeth or are looking to have your or somebody in your family’s teeth extracted, please contact Dr. Steven Hatcher and his team at Triad Dentistry by calling (336) 383-1482.

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Dr. Steven Hatcher

Dr. Chad Merrell

Dr. Sona Isharani

Dr. Victoria Santiago-Coiro

Dr. Chavala M. Harris

Dr. Steven Hatcher, Dr. Chad Merrell, Dr. Sona Isharani, Dr. Victoria Santiago-Coiro, and Dr. Chavala M. Harris comprise the team of qualified and experienced doctors at Triad Dentistry. They are passionate and driven professionals who strive to preserve and enhance the natural beauty in every dental treatment. Together with the other members of the team, they focus on developing an individualist approach when it comes to treating patients to ensure patient care is a tailor-made experience for the comfort of each client.