14 Aug My wisdom teeth aren’t bothering me. Why should I have them removed?
Patients with asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth may understandably be reluctant to have them removed. After all, why consider a surgical extraction when you’re not suffering any ill effects. However, problems with your wisdom teeth can crop up at any time, but these issues are not entirely predictable. Having your wisdom teeth extracted as a preventive measure can help you avoid serious consequences for your oral health and even your general health.
An oral surgeon can determine whether a patient’s wisdom teeth are impacted or likely to become impacted during the patient’s early teen years, clarifying whether a patient might need to have them removed. However, it is impossible to pinpoint when those impacted wisdom teeth might develop concerns such as cysts, tumors, abscesses or infections. Those issues not only cause great discomfort, but they can negatively affect your overall well-being. For example, an infection that begins in the wisdom teeth could spread throughout the bloodstream, causing a host of issues.
Delaying wisdom tooth extraction can make the procedure more complicated for the oral surgeon. As patients get older, the roots of their wisdom teeth get longer and more entrenched in the jaw. Therefore, in patients beyond their mid-twenties, it can be much more complex to remove impacted wisdom teeth. More surrounding bone may need to be removed, and older patients usually spend much more time recuperating from the procedure than younger patients do.
Wisdom tooth extraction is typically an outpatient procedure, and the patient returns home in a few hours with an escort from a responsible adult. Unless complications occur after the procedure, patients can return to work a day or two after the extraction. Keep in mind that if you follow the post-operative instructions provided by your surgeon, you will significantly reduce your risk of such complications.
Even if your wisdom teeth aren’t troublesome, you should still have an evaluation to determine whether they are impacted and if you might benefit from having them extracted. Call our office at Commonwealth Oral & Facial Surgery to make an appointment.