Why Do Dentists Often Recommend Taking Out Wisdom Teeth?

Why do dentists often recommend taking out wisdom teeth? Some dentists say that keeping wisdom teeth in will eventually cause the lower front teeth to become crowded or overlap each other. Other dentists say that wisdom teeth may cause problems later in life so they should be taken out now before they affect surrounding teeth. So, what is the truth?

The truth is, there is no study that shows that wisdom teeth will cause crowding of the lower front teeth. When there are no back teeth, the lower front teeth may still become crowded. This happens because the contact between the lower front teeth is very small, so the teeth may slide past each other. The back teeth in fact, tend to move backwards. This is seen more commonly with the top molars. Then, food may get trapped and the teeth may become decayed as they are harder to reach and thoroughly clean.

So when should the third molars (or wisdom teeth) be taken out? They should be taken out if they are partially exposed in the mouth, which allows oral bacteria to enter the body via the bloodstream as inflammation damages the tiny blood vessels in your mouth. If the wisdom tooth is partially exposed and pushing against the tooth in front of it, a deep pocket with bone loss will expose the second molar to decay that can result in the loss of that molar. The bacteria that leaks into a partially exposed third molar can also lower the body’s resistance to infection.

However, if the wisdom tooth is completely buried in the soft tissue or bone, or the third molars are in the upright position and healthy, there is no reason to extract the third molars. To learn more about the third molars in your mouth, feel free to check out our page on Wisdom Tooth Removal.

If you have any questions about third molars in your mouth, please don’t hesitate to call us to learn more or schedule an appointment with our practice. You can reach our Mid Town Dental Services team today by calling 212-697-3946. Dr. Mark Jacobson and our team are here to help you with wisdom teeth removal in New York City, New York.