Wisdom teeth are called so because we usually don’t get them until we are between the ages of 17 to 25 years old. Often times you will hear that most people end up getting their wisdom teeth pulled out. There can be many reasons for this. These third molars can fail to erupt, they can become impacted and they can be pretty hard to clean and therefore can get cavities easily. They can crowd your other teeth and cause migraines – the list can go on and on. What if you have healthy wisdom teeth? Should you remove them anyways? When should you have your wisdom teeth pulled? Here are some points to consider when you are faced with the choice as to whether or not you should have your wisdom teeth pulled out.

Why do we have our wisdom teeth extracted and how serious does it get? More often than not wisdom teeth become a liability more than an advantage in your mouth. Healthy wisdom teeth can be pretty hard to clean due to their location and can be prone to cavities, gum disease and decay also. Wisdom teeth that have grown in sideways or haven’t completely erupted from the gums are impacted and can cause a lot of problems. They can also grow in different directions and crowd out neighboring teeth. If a wisdom tooth doesn’t erupt completely the gums can trap food where no toothbrush, floss or talented hygienist can ever reach. This of course is going to cause all kinds of problems such as infection, decay, gum disease, swelling and can even make you feel sick in general. Talking with your dentist about your own wisdom teeth’s condition will give you a better idea about how important it might be to your oral health if you should have them pulled or not.
The actual process of getting your wisdom tooth pulled really depends on your own situation. The best thing to do is talk to your dentist to find out what condition your teeth are in so you know what to expect if they do need to be pulled. Pulling wisdom teeth can be as simple as pulling out a normal tooth or very complicated. The recovery from getting your wisdom teeth pulled also depends on the condition of these teeth in the first place. It is very important to follow any aftercare instructions your dentist may give you. Your dentist can also provide scenarios of what can happen if you decide to keep your healthy wisdom teeth.
The best points to consider when weighing whether or not your wisdom teeth should be pulled is information your dentist will give you after evaluating your mouth. If your wisdom teeth are causing problems with your other teeth, is causing pain or are impacted than it may be worth the recovery to having them extracted. If your wisdom teeth haven’t caused any problems so far and you are over 30 you may not need them extracted.