Wisdom teeth were essential for effective digestion in prehistoric times since the diet mainly consisted of raw plants, nuts, and tough meats. Now, wisdom teeth are no longer necessary because of contemporary cooking methods and eating utensils.
Today, a person’s mouth is typically too small to accommodate a third set of molars. As a result, most individuals experience a wide range of issues associated with developing wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth often emerge crooked and only partly through the gums. When left untreated, they present a significant threat to your dental health. Here’s why wisdom teeth removal matters.
What Happens When You Don’t Remove Wisdom Teeth?
Infections
Pericoronitis is a bacterial infection that may develop around a partially erupted wisdom tooth if it is not extracted. You might have pericoronitis when the gum tissue surrounding your wisdom teeth becomes inflamed. Depending on how serious it is, it may cause symptoms, including foul breath and face swelling. If not managed, pericoronitis may also lead to an abscess that can spread the infection to other areas of your body.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When wisdom teeth cannot grow out regularly, they become impacted (or “stuck”) in the jawbone. While many other dental problems might cause jaw discomfort, impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain radiating around the head and face. Chewing may also amplify pain around the impacted tooth and extend it to the roof of the mouth or neighboring teeth.
Infection, tooth decay, and gum disease are just some of the oral health issues that may result from wisdom teeth that have been impacted.
Find Comfortable Wisdom Teeth Removal in Edison, NJ
The optimal age for wisdom teeth removal is between 15 and 18 years old. This is because the roots of the wisdom teeth are only halfway developed at this time, although they may also erupt at any time between the ages of 15 and 25. If you wait too long, it may be considerably more challenging to remove them.
Call Gentle Dental Care at (732) 549-5660 if you or a loved one needs wisdom teeth removal in Edison, NJ, or the surrounding township areas of Piscataway, New Brunswick, Metuchen, or Woodbridge.