Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth – is it wise to keep them?

Most of us develop wisdom teeth or third molars, however, many people don’t have enough space in the jaw for them to erupt. This causes the wisdom teeth to become ‘impacted’ (completely or partially) leading to such problems as:

• pericoronitis (inflammation of the gums overlying the partially erupted wisdom tooth)
• resorption (or dissolving) of the tooth in front of the wisdom tooth
• dental decay
• jaw pain due to wisdom teeth

Other reasons wisdom teeth removal may be necessary:

• infection or abscesses
• prior to or after orthodontic treatment (braces)
• preparation for orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery
• when the tooth is involved in cysts or other pathology
• in some cases of jaw fracture

In many cases, patients elect to have wisdom teeth removal for prophylactic reasons to prevent conditions developing in the future.