Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Maintain your Smile and Quality of Life

The modern human jaw is too small to accommodate the wisdom teeth, and consequently those large third molars often become impacted.

Impacted wisdom teeth can have ongoing ramifications for your smile’s appearance and your overall well-being.

To avoid these negative outcomes, many patients choose to have their wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon before they even cause any problems.

Because it is so hard to thoroughly clean the area at the rear of the jaw, impacted wisdom teeth are ripe targets for infection. That infection can reach the tooth’s inner core and cause an abscess. The bacteria found in abscesses can readily access the bloodstream, potentially creating systemic issues.

Impacted wisdom teeth will continue to attempt to erupt, which can also damage neighboring teeth and knock the rest of the smile out of alignment. If the wisdom teeth still try to push through the gums, the other teeth may respond to those forces by moving out of position. Similarly, they can be structurally compromised by the force of the wisdom teeth. 

At the same time, impacted wisdom teeth often cause discomfort for patients. This is another compelling reason that can lead patients to pursue extraction.

Yet many patients choose extraction before they even become symptomatic. By inspecting x-rays and examining the patient, an oral surgeon can determine the likelihood that the wisdom teeth will become impacted in children as young as 12 or 13 years old. It is recommended that patients have their wisdom teeth removed before age 25, because the wisdom teeth’s roots are shorter and not as entrenched in the jawbone and the recovery period is shorter.

Wisdom tooth extraction can be completed in a few hours in an outpatient setting, often an oral surgeon’s office. Patients usually are able to resume their normal routines in a matter of days.

Although wisdom teeth extraction is a relatively routine procedure at this point, it does involve surgery, which is always associated with some risks, although they are rare. Discuss any concerns that you may have with your oral surgeon.

Having impacted wisdom teeth removed has a number of benefits. Talk to any of our oral surgeons at Central Oklahoma Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates to learn more about extraction and how it can improve your oral health.