Wisdom Teeth Bothering You? Here’s When You Should Get them Out

Quick Summary

Wisdom teeth should be removed when they are impacted under the gums, partially protrude through tissue, or crowd nearby teeth causing misalignment or infection. Removal is typically recommended during childhood or young adulthood when roots and bones haven’t fully developed and recovery time is faster. Wisdom teeth can remain if they have fully erupted, are healthy and correctly positioned, and can be cleaned properly each day.

Key Takeaways

• Schedule a wisdom tooth evaluation during childhood or young adulthood, when roots and bones haven’t fully developed and your recovery time will be much faster.
• Watch for signs that your wisdom teeth are impacted, partially erupted through the gums, or crowding nearby teeth, as these conditions require removal to prevent misalignment and infection.
• Ask your dentist whether your wisdom teeth are positioned correctly and can be cleaned daily, since fully erupted, healthy wisdom teeth do not need to be removed.
• Seek advice from your dentist if you experience pain in your mouth, as this may indicate your wisdom teeth are causing infection or pushing other teeth out of alignment.

Let’s face it. There’s comes a time when your wisdom teeth just might need to come out. After all, through evolution, wisdom teeth are no longer needed to tear meat and chew nuts, as was the case with our ancestors. And now, they can do more harm than good, especially if they get infected. So, how do you know when wisdom tooth removal is necessary? Here are a few common indicators.

Best Time to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

There are three ideal times to have your wisdom teeth removed:

• When your wisdom teeth are impacted
• When your wisdom teeth partially protrude through the gums
• When they crowd nearby teeth

When your wisdom teeth are impacted, they are underneath the gums, and sometimes, can even grow in sideways. It’s important to have them removed if they are positioned in your mouth this way. If not, the other teeth can get pushed out of alignment and cause other complications. The same is true if they’re partially erupted, crowding your other teeth. Sometimes, wisdom teeth cause infection when they’re impacted, have partially come through the gums, or are crowding your other teeth. This can result in a lot of pain in your mouth. This is how you’ll know you need to seek medical advice from your dentist who will determine whether or not it’s necessary to remove your wisdom teeth. Make sure you pay attention to the signs that it’s time to get your wisdom teeth removed.

Recommended Time to Have Wisdom Teeth Pulled

It’s generally recommended to have your wisdom teeth removed during childhood or young adulthood. The reason for this is that in young adulthood your teeth have fully grown in and removing your wisdom teeth is more beneficial than detrimental. Dentists say that removing wisdom teeth at any early age is better because the roots and bones haven’t fully developed. Additionally, your recovery time is much faster during your developmental years. If your wisdom teeth come out later than that, your recovery time will generally be much longer.

Times When Your Wisdom Teeth Should Remain

There are times, however, when wisdom teeth should stay in your mouth. These include when your wisdom teeth have fully erupted; when they’re healthy, positioned correctly (no crowding); and when they can be properly cleaned every day. If your wisdom teeth are straight and in good condition, there’s no reason to undergo surgery to have them removed. At this point, surgery would be more of a risk, and the benefits of abstaining from surgery outweigh the benefits of proceeding.

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