When It's No Longer Wise to Hold Onto Wisdom Teeth

Not everyone has to have their wisdom teeth removed when they arrive around the ages of 18 to 24.

However, as time goes on, your wisdom teeth may develop complications or become painful and uncomfortable. At Southern California General & Cosmetic Dentistry, located in Long Beach, California, Dr. Ryan J. Fait and our dedicated team are here to cover all of your cosmetic and general dentistry needs, including wisdom teeth removals.

When it’s time to say goodbye

Wisdom teeth can cause significant issues with your smile and oral health. And for some people, if their teeth are already crowding your jaw, they may not have enough space for your wisdom teeth to rupture, much less erupt fully. When a tooth doesn’t emerge fully, it’s referred to as an impacted tooth.

An impacted wisdom tooth can have serious ramifications, such as:

A locked jaw, or difficulty opening your mouth
Red and swollen gums
Bleeding gums
Acute pain when chewing, biting, or opening your mouth
Bad breath
Bad taste in your mouth that lingers

Other symptoms include misaligned teeth or teeth that are growing in the wrong direction. Leaving your wisdom teeth can also lead to serious oral health problems like tooth decay, infections, and cysts.

And because your wisdom teeth are in a position where they’re hard to see and clean, you may not even notice that you have these complications until they become serious problems.

In addition to possibly causing complications for your dental health down the road, wisdom teeth are also unnecessary. Since they aren’t required for functional oral health, we generally recommend that our patients have them removed as soon as possible.

The longer you wait, the more you increase your chances of experiencing a painful removal. So it’s best to come in to have your wisdom teeth checked as soon as you can.

When it’s okay to keep your wisdom teeth

Not everyone who keeps their wisdom teeth experiences the above complications. If your wisdom teeth do have room to erupt fully and without any complications, then there is no problem leaving them in your mouth.

At our office, Dr. Fait monitors your wisdom teeth to ensure that they’re properly growing and addresses any issues that may arise. We can do this easily during your regular appointments with a simple oral exam and an X-ray of your smile. We also monitor your wisdom teeth over time.

You can keep your wisdom teeth if they’re fully erupted, growing in the proper position, and functioning in harmony with your bite. That means you’re able to reach and brush your wisdom teeth properly, and they aren’t causing any issues or pain.

To learn more, and to find out if you need to have your wisdom teeth removed, schedule a consultation with our team at Southern California General & Cosmetic Dentistry by calling our office or by booking online.