Best Age to Remove Wisdom Teeth

Best Age to Remove Wisdom Teeth

Due to our evolution, wisdom teeth are thought to be vestigial or a part of our body that we no longer need. The vast majority of our adult teeth develop during childhood, except our third set of molars, commonly known as wisdom teeth. Therefore, wisdom teeth appear much later in life than the rest of your teeth. In fact, this late arrival is the reason why many people need to have their wisdom teeth removed. By the time your wisdom teeth show up, your jaw has finished growing. Therefore, you might not have enough space to accommodate them.

If your wisdom teeth do not erupt the same way as your other adult teeth, you might have a wide range of oral complications. These completions could range from bacterial growth to cysts and infections. Wisdom teeth might erupt on the sides of your jaws or come in crooked. Some people never develop wisdom teeth. However, studies indicate that 85% of the people who develop wisdom teeth will need to have them extracted. Our dentist in Barrie offers some insight regarding wisdom teeth, including when you should consider removal.

When Your Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted

Impacted wisdom teeth are one of the common issues with wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth erupt at a point where the bone curves away from the plane of your other teeth, at the back of your jaw. This often contributes to wisdom teeth misalignment. Wisdom teeth tend to erupt with the teeth tilted forward instead of erupting with the crown upright like your other teeth. In some cases, wisdom teeth could erupt with the crown completely horizontal, whereby the crown faces the front.

Impacted wisdom teeth could exert pressure on your surrounding teeth and create a constant dull pain. In addition, impacted teeth might erupt partially or remain encased in their development sacs. Whether they remain encased or partially erupt, impacted wisdom teeth are a common breeding ground for bacteria and are prone to infection.

Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

If you suspect that you have impacted wisdom teeth, you should visit your dentist immediately. Some of the common signs of impacted wisdom teeth are:

  • Bleeding gums
  • Jaw pain
  • Trouble or pain while chewing
  • Bad breath
  • An odd taste in your mouth
  • Gum tenderness

Your dentist can remove your impacted wisdom teeth and put an end to your discomfort. It is important to go for your regular dental visits. This way, your dentist can check your wisdom teeth. If the dentist notices that your wisdom teeth have started to come in and are crowding your other teeth, they can remove them to protect your smile.

The Process of Extracting Wisdom Teeth

The exact process a dentist uses to remove impacted wisdom teeth will depend on the condition of your teeth. At times, the removal process is simple; the dentist may remove the entire tooth at once. In other instances, the dentist may extract the impacted wisdom tooth in bits to avoid extreme disturbance of the bone tissue.

The dentist may use local or sedation anesthesia depending on the extraction process involved. Your dentist is likely to use local anesthesia for simple wisdom tooth extraction. For more complicated wisdom teeth extractions, the dentist may use sedation anesthesia. More complicated extraction procedures or an extremely nervous patient could call for general anesthesia.

When removing impacted wisdom teeth, the dentist makes an incision into the gums, exposing the tooth and the jaw bone. Next, the dentist removes the bone surrounding the root of the tooth to be extracted. The dentist then extracts the whole tooth or divides the tooth into sections to reduce damage to the surrounding bone. The next step involves cleaning debris from the tooth socket before stitching the wound shut if necessary.

The Best Age for Wisdom Teeth Removal

If your wisdom teeth are causing you problems, you can have them removed irrespective of your age. However, the preferred age for wisdom teeth removal is between 18 and 24 years. It is safe to have a wisdom tooth removed when its root has not developed to around 2/3 of its full size. When you are 18 years or slightly above this age, this will vary depending on the patient. By the time a person is 18 years, it is usually apparent how their wisdom teeth will develop.

The recommended cut-off age for wisdom teeth removal is 24 years. After this age, the roots of your wisdom teeth are fully developed, making the extraction process more complicated. Between 18 and 24 years, the patient is still young and assured of a speedy recovery. However, when wisdom teeth removals occur at an advanced age, the patient may need to undergo more complicated surgery. Older patients have a slower recovery time and a higher risk of complications.

After the wisdom teeth removal, most patients will need several days to rest and heal. However, the recovery period could be a week or longer for complex extraction procedures. If you are healing from wisdom teeth extraction, you should avoid strenuous activities, sports, and heavy lifting.

For wisdom teeth removal or any oral healthcare consultation, we invite you to contact Molson Park Dental. Kindly call us to schedule an appointment. You can also book an appointment online.