Some people are lucky enough to be born without wisdom teeth, while for others, their wisdom teeth grow in healthy without any problems. But for many of us, our wisdom teeth grow in and cause problems like pain or disruption of the other teeth in the mouth.

When your wisdom teeth grow in, they can become stuck, or impacted. That means they can’t grow through your jaw and into your mouth. This could be happening because your mouth is too small to make room for them, or the teeth could be growing at an angle that’s not aligned with your other teeth. In these cases, wisdom tooth removal is quite important as teeth growing in on an angle can damage the adjacent teeth.

If you are considering wisdom tooth extraction, it’s a good idea not to wait. Having your wisdom teeth removed early in life will make the procedure, and the recovery, much easier. As we age, our bones become harder, making procedures like tooth extractions much more difficult. This also means more chance of pain and longer recovery times.

Waiting too long could result in post-surgery complications ranging from heavy bleeding and fractured teeth to severe numbness and minor loss of movement in your jaw. Problems like this could be temporary, or permanent – everyone is different.

Before determining if wisdom tooth extraction is right for you, your dentist in Caledon will take an x-ray to examine your wisdom teeth and see what’s happening beneath the gumline.

If the x-rays show problems now or indicate that problems are likely to develop in the future, your wisdom teeth will need to come out.

Here are some situations when your dentist will likely recommend extraction:

• Your wisdom teeth are growing in a way that will damage other teeth
• Your wisdom teeth are likely to cause damage to your jaw
• Your wisdom teeth are causing problems with your sinuses
• Your gums are inflamed because of the way your wisdom teeth are growing in
• You are developing cavities caused by pockets forming in your swollen gums around your wisdom teeth
• Your wisdom teeth are impacted or growing at an angle, which can create crowding in the mouth

If you’re not sure whether wisdom tooth extraction is right for you, reach out to the team at Caledon Dental Centre today. We’ll schedule an appointment to examine your mouth and discuss the best options for you.