Sometimes there are reasons to remove your wisdom teeth, even if they do not hurt. You might find that you come in for a checkup and it is recommended that your wisdom teeth be removed. You will probably wonder why, since you did not even know they were there – you have no pain and your teeth are not crooked as a result of their eruption. We have good reasons though – reasons you cannot see.
X-Rays Help Make the Decision
When you come in for dental x-rays, we are looking at things that well beyond the surface of your teeth. Yes, we are looking for decay that was undetected or root issues, but we are also closely looking at your wisdom teeth and what you cannot see from the surface. What we see on the x-rays is the way the wisdom teeth are growing past the area you can see. We see beneath the gum line, whether the tooth has erupted yet or not. If the teeth are not yet through your gums, we could see if they are impacted, creating the risk of infection or if they are not going to have the room necessary to erupt, which means your adjacent teeth are going to suffer by becoming crooked or moved.
The Danger of Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth might not seem like a big deal – they just get removed if they are causing too many problems right? The key is catching them early! If you let an impacted tooth continue to grow, it begins to affect the nearby tooth roots that might have been completely healthy prior to the growth of these new teeth. The impacted roots can weaken the roots of your healthy teeth or cause them to become infected, putting you at risk of losing more than just your wisdom teeth.
Your wisdom teeth have no impact on the function of your mouth. They are just extra teeth that do not grow until you are in your late teens or early twenties. You can fully function without them, which is why more often than not, they get extracted. Sometimes it is done in an emergency situation, when the pain is unbearable, while other times it is done for preventative purposes. If you are told that your wisdom teeth need to be removed – don’t be alarmed; it is for the health of your mouth and other healthy teeth!
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