Do I Have to Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed if They Aren't Causing Any Problems?

Wisdom teeth get their nickname because this third set of molars tends not to erupt until your late teens to 20s, when (presumably) you’re wiser than you were at ten or so when your first permanent molars erupt. 

Evolutionary scientists consider wisdom teeth “vestigial organs” because they don’t function in most modern mouths. As humans evolved from hunter-gatherers to farmers, our jaws began to atrophy because we didn’t need high-powered chewing to digest our much softer diets.

For the most part, modern human jaws are smaller than our power-chewing ancestors. So small that late-erupting wisdom teeth often have nowhere to go. They get stuck, are partially or unerupted, or push other teeth out of alignment.

Most people don’t need wisdom teeth and do better without them. In most instances, we advise wisdom teeth extraction through oral surgery.

At Miracle Smile Dental, our expert dentist, Nisha Modi, DMD, keeps tabs on your wisdom teeth development with regular X-rays. She can identify potential trouble with wisdom teeth even before you experience pain.

But what if your wisdom teeth don’t hurt at all? Do you still need to remove them? Read the answers to the following questions to learn more. 

Did your wisdom teeth come through already?

You may not need to do anything if your wisdom teeth have erupted. Some people have enough room in their jaws to accommodate this third set of molars.

Fully erupted wisdom teeth should look just like your other molars. If they seem shorter, let us take a look at them. Also, let us know if they are twisted or coming in at an odd angle.

Even if they erupt and are straight, they may crowd your other teeth. Do you notice any changes in your teeth alignment? Are your other teeth starting to twist? If so, let us know. If not, your wisdom teeth may be just fine as they are.

Is one or more of your wisdom teeth “stuck”?

Sometimes wisdom teeth become “impacted,” meaning they can’t fully erupt and get caught underneath the gum. In cases like this, you probably already feel pain or tenderness on your gum where the tooth is trying to break through.

About 80% of adults have at least one impacted wisdom tooth, usually in the lower jaw.

Your dentist lets you know if the unerupted wisdom tooth may cause trouble in the future. If it’s already causing pain or is partially erupted, it’s time to remove it. A tooth that’s only broken through the gum allows bacteria to get under the gum line, which could lead to infection.

Do you have pain or discomfort?

If your gums or mouth is painful due to unerupted, partially erupted, or ill-fitting wisdom teeth, Dr. Modi advises that you undergo an extraction. An extraction reduces your risk for:

• Gum infection
• Tooth decay
• Alignment problems
• Digestive problems
• Jaw damage

Of course, extracting wisdom teeth causes short-term discomfort. However, we use sedation dentistry to keep you comfortable (or even unconscious) during the procedure. Afterward, we recommend painkillers and a soft-food diet for a few days to keep you comfortable.

Do your X-rays suggest an abnormal eruption?

In some cases, we may advise that you undergo extraction even before your wisdom teeth start to erupt. By tracking your or your child’s wisdom teeth development through X-rays at your biannual check-ups, we may identify potential problems you can avoid through extraction.

It’s painful to remove wisdom teeth after they’ve developed mature roots and your jawbone is strong. It also takes more recovery time than removing them earlier. If your or your child’s wisdom teeth don’t have room to erupt normally and healthily, we recommend removing them before they cause problems.

Do you know what’s going on with your wisdom teeth? Find out if they’re coming in straight or if you could benefit from wisdom teeth extraction by calling our team today at 469-765-3567. Or, use our convenient online scheduling tool.