Why should I have my wisdom teeth removed?

Why Should I Have My Wisdom Teeth Removed?
If you do not have enough room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth to fully erupt, a number of problems can happen. Impacted wisdom teeth (or teeth that cannot erupt because of jaw space or tooth position) should be removed before their roots fully develop. In some patients it can be as early as 12 or 13, and in others it may not be until the early twenties. Often age 15-17 is an ideal time. Problems tend to occur more often after the age of 30. Some of the possible problems related to not removing your wisdom teeth include:

Infection
The most common problem that occurs is pericoronitis, (a localized gum infection). Without enough room for the tooth to completely erupt, the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth can become irritated and infected, resulting in recurrent pain, swelling, and problems with chewing and/or swallowing.

Cyst Formation
Cysts are fluid-filled “balloons” inside the jaw bone that develop as a result of impacted teeth and slowly “fill up” destroying jaw bone and occasionally teeth that are adjacent. They can be very difficult to treat if your wisdom teeth are not removed in your teenage years. Although rare, tumors can also be associated with the delaying the removal of wisdom teeth.
Damage to Adjacent Teeth
If there isn’t enough room to clean around the wisdom tooth, the tooth directly in front, the second molar, can be negatively affected resulting in gum disease, loss of bone around the tooth, and/or cavities.
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