Why Should I Remove My Wisdom Teeth?

Why Should I Remove My Wisdom Teeth? by Stillwater, OK sleep expert Dr. Richard Miller.

Video Transcript

Why Should I Remove My Wisdom Teeth?

The wisdom teeth are the last teeth to develop. So typically, there’s not enough room in the mouth for those to come in. A lot of times they’ll push on the other teeth and they’ll crowd the teeth. If they do come through partially, then it leaves a big avenue for bacteria to get down and around the teeth so we see a lot of infections. We see a lot of patients, if they don’t have their wisdom teeth out, may develop some bone loss or gum disease in between the wisdom tooth and the tooth in front. Which means they ultimately lose that other tooth besides the wisdom tooth.

The tooth forms inside a sack. And it grows within that sack. So that sacks sometimes will enlarge and form a cyst around. So as that sack grows, it destroys bone within the jaw and also puts the patient at a higher risk for a jaw fracture. So the younger that we can do that, the better. I’ve had– fortunately, had to take out some wisdom teeth on patients in their 80s and 90s. It’s not a fun procedure for them or me.