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Wisdom Teeth Extraction Blog – Benefits vs. Risks

Waterloo Dentist-Forest Hill Family Dental

When it comes to our oral health, there is one thing that people typically don’t understand. Many people are misinformed or simply don’t know about their wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth, otherwise known as third molars are the final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Some dental professionals recommend removing the wisdom teeth as soon as they begin to break through the gum, other dental professionals only recommend that wisdom teeth be removed if they are negatively impacting your oral health. Whatever the recommendation of your dental professional, it is important to understand your wisdom teeth before you make the decision to remove them or not.

 

To get started, it’s important to know what the wisdom teeth removal process involves. Before any process has been decided on, it is important to understand the state of the wisdom teeth before a process can be decided on. If the teeth have already breached the gums, then they can be removed as simple as any other tooth. However, if the wisdom teeth are still under the gums than an incision will need to be made into the gums and then the portion of bone that lays over the bone will need to be removed.

 

Now that we are aware of what the procedure entails, let’s see what the benefits of having the teeth removed are. When wisdom teeth come in, there may not be enough space for them on your jaw. If you have a smaller jaw, then there are concerns that your teeth may be forced to move and shift to accommodate them. If you have had years of dental work to straighten your smile, having the wisdom teeth come in may end up hampering all the work that has been done.

Removing the wisdom teeth will prevent your teeth from moving over and preserve your smile.

 

While removing your wisdom teeth is a simple and routine medical procedure, there is still a risk that is associated with any medical procedure. When it comes to wisdom teeth removal, there are two common issues that may arise.One of the first issues that may arrise is something known as dry socket. Dry socket is when a blood clot fails to form in the extracted tooth socket or when the blood clot that did form has been dislodged. Without a blood clot, healing will be delayed. Another problem that may arise from the surgery is something known as paresthesia. Paresthesia is when the nerves that may have been underneath the extracted wisdom tooth are bruised or damaged. This can result in numbness of the tongue, lip, or chin that can last for days, weeks, months, or even permanently.

 

Having your wisdom teeth removed is something that you and your dentist must come to a decision about. Some people decide to not remove their wisdom teeth and they are perfectly fine. Other people end up in a situation where they must have their wisdom teeth removed immediately. When it comes to your wisdom teeth, it is important that you take the time to come to a proper decision.