Should I Remove My Wisdom Teeth?

Most people, once their wisdom teeth come in, choose to get them removed, but do they have to be? Well, it depends on their condition, as well as the impact that they can have on your mouth.

Your wisdom teeth, for those who do not know, are the third and final set of molars that can grow in once a person reaches their late teens or early 20’s. There are some individuals, however, that do not get any wisdom teeth at all. It might be because, physically, we do not have any use for them as we once did before modern technology allowed us to cook and tenderize the foods that we eat today.

For those that choose to keep their wisdom teeth, they should be treated the same as the rest of your teeth, meaning that they have to be cleaned, flossed, and kept free of bacteria. They must also be monitored to ensure that they are not moving and causing problems for the surrounding teeth, such as overcrowding or making the person develop and under-bite.

Wisdom teeth that grow in crooked, or are unable to break through the gum line, need to be removed and should be scheduled for extraction.

A local anesthetic will be applied to the area by a dental surgeon. The wisdom teeth will then be removed. The entire process shouldn’t take any more than an hour, but this could change depending on the number of wisdom teeth being removed, as well as their condition. You will be able to go home the same day.

As for the healing process, patients can expect to be fully healed between a couple of weeks to a month, again depending on how many teeth were extracted, and whether there were rare complications or not. During this time, it is advisable not to drink through any straws as the suction can tear the stitching, or eat any foods that are difficult to chew. Your dental surgeon will be able to provide you with a detailed list of aftercare foods, cleaning instructions, and what to take to ease any discomfort.