Did you know that your wisdom teeth pose risks to your oral health if they are retained? It’s true. Having your wisdom teeth removed by your dentist could save you permanent damage to your oral health, money spent on corrective dental treatments, and discomfort.
If you’ve ever wondered why wisdom teeth removal is necessary, read on for answers to frequently asked questions.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that tend to erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Most people will have between one and four wisdom teeth emerge in early adulthood.
Why do we have third molars?
In the past, people didn’t have access to effective oral hygiene tools or professional oral healthcare. As a result, they lost their first and second molars quite early in life. Since their other molars were gone, having a third set emerge wasn’t as problematic as it is now. This is because we retain our molars far longer in life than our ancestors due to increased access to professional care and oral hygiene tools.
How can wisdom teeth affect my health?
Keeping your wisdom teeth could have far-reaching effects on your health and your comfort. Wisdom teeth cause crowding, which leads to teeth shifting out of place. They also increases a person’s risks for tooth decay and gum disease because cleaning between crowded teeth is difficult.
Another way that wisdom teeth affect oral health is due to the fact that they rarely erupt through the gums upright. Since there isn’t enough room for their arrival, wisdom teeth tend to become impacted in the bone and gums. This means that only portions of wisdom teeth emerge, with the majority of their structures stuck beneath the gingiva. Impacted teeth greatly increase a person’s risks for tooth decay and gum disease.
The emergence of wisdom teeth presents quality of life issues, too. Many people suffer with facial pain and headaches as a result of their third molars.
Will I be comfortable during wisdom teeth removal?
Oral healthcare providers take every measure possible to ensure patient comfort during treatments. They administer pain-relieving and sedating medication to keep patients physically and emotionally comfortable.
Call Bliss Dental today to reserve a wisdom teeth removal consultation with our dentist.