Is it wise to remove wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are your third set of molars. They are the last of your teeth to grow and are situated in the back of the mouth. Common misunderstandings surround the origin of their name, reasons for their removal and why they cause pain.
“The term ‘wisdom teeth’ is age-related – third molars don’t erupt until the late teenage years and beyond: when people theoretically are supposed to be more wise….”
Many dentists today recommend that wisdom teeth be removed to prevent crowding of the lower front teeth. There is no evidence to support this view and it is now accepted that this is not a justification for the extraction of wisdom teeth. The risks associated with NOT removing wisdom teeth are small and less than 5%. However, cases of serious infection have been reported in the literature and in those cases the infection led to serious patient complications. In several cases the infection caused the death through swelling and obstruction of the airway. Fortunately, this is event is extremely rare.
However, in certain situations (eg. when these teeth are only partially exposed and impacted against the teeth in front) they may collect food and debris in areas around the tooth and beneath the gum. These areas are difficult to access and clean. As a result decay may result not only in the wisdom tooth but also in the tooth in front. Gum infections and recurring inflammation may also occur. When cleanliness cannot be maintained, if infection and inflammation recurs on a regular basis or the risk of complication and access to dental care is restricted or limited it may be appropriate to consider the extraction of these wisdom teeth.
