For many people, the idea of having their wisdom teeth removed is a scary thought. But, there are some good reasons that people sometimes need to have their wisdom teeth removed and this article looks at the more common reasons.
In many cases, the wisdom teeth are removed because they are being block by other teeth or bone from coming in properly. This condition is known as impacted teeth. When this occurs, the person will often experience pain which can be relieved by removing the wisdom teeth. In some cases, the person may not know that it is his or her wisdom teeth causing this problem until a dentist shows them an X-ray of the problem. This is just one of the reasons why people, especially those who are in their early 20’s, have regular visits to the dentist.
Wisdom teeth are also removed because they can cause a variety of other problems such as infections, tooth decay and crowding of other teeth which can lead to those teeth coming in crooked. This happens most often to those teeth that are next to the wisdom teeth and once they come in misaligned, they can be difficult to straighten out later, as well as expensive.
There are other problems such as the formation of cysts that can develop as well. These cysts, which are filled with fluid, may cause damage that is permanent to either the bone, nerves, or teeth. In some very rare cases, these cysts can develop into tumors which are much more dangerous and must be treated as soon as possible.
For most people, the best time to remove the wisdom teeth is when the person is young. The reason is because the roots of the wisdom teeth have not developed fully by this age. Also, the bone is less dense making extraction easier.