What Can Happen When Wisdom Teeth Aren’t Removed?
It is common for teens or young adults to have their wisdom teeth removed; this can prevent future problems in the mouth. But what are the specific risks of NOT having impacted wisdom teeth removed?
First, when wisdom teeth are partially erupted, meaning they tooth are only partially through the gum, they can be harder to keep clean, making them more susceptible to decay and gum problems. Also, food can get trapped between gum tissue and the partially erupted tooth, leading to damaging bacterial infection and possible gum disease.
And if the wisdom teeth are mal-aligned, the surrounding teeth can be damaged. Pressure from the wisdom teeth can cause crowding of other teeth, leading to the need for possible orthodontic treatments.
Occasionally, cysts can form in the sac, or follicle, that the wisdom tooth grows in. This may lead to the eventual (need for more extensive oral surgery. These cysts may tend to come back many months (or even years) after surgery. Wisdom teeth are commonly removed early to prevent possible cyst formation.
Wisdom teeth can cause problems at any age and, even though they may not cause pain or infection in the teenage years, your dentist may still recommend removing them to avoid more difficult, even serious, surgery later in life.
In deciding whether or not to keep your wisdom teeth, you should understand that you can’t simply forget them. You should have regular dental checkups and panoramic x-rays, to see if the wisdom teeth are possibly causing unseen problems.
