Isn’t growing up fun? First crush. First date. First job and car. Leaving home to go to school out of town. Gap year road trips. First apartment. Wisdom teeth extraction. Wait. What?!
For many people, having their wisdom teeth extracted is a sign that adulthood has arrived or is lurking around a very close corner. But why do so many people have their wisdom teeth extracted, and when is the best time to have those wisdom teeth pulled by our dentist in St. Albert?
What are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that arrive much later in life than your main two sets of adult molars.
Wisdom teeth typically arrive sometime between your mid-teens and your mid-twenties. Some 35% of people don’t develop wisdom teeth — perhaps an early evolutionary indicator that they’re disappearing from the species. Did you know that assuming you get them at all, wisdom teeth are the largest teeth in your mouth? That’s part of the problem.
Over time, our jaws have become smaller, and there is no room to accommodate those large third molars. Besides that, third molars are no longer necessary thanks to changing diets and improved dental care and treatment. Wisdom teeth that do erupt often over-crowd an already complete jaw, forcing those existing teeth out of alignment or coming in sideways or at uncomfortable and safe angles.
Sometimes that already complete jaw prevents wisdom teeth from emerging completely or even at all. When that happens, we say that the wisdom teeth have become impacted, either partially or completely — struck below the surface of the gums but still exerting pressure on your jaw and other teeth.
That’s why so many dentists recommend that those wisdom teeth be extracted. They’re unnecessary and present the risk of significant orthodontic and dental hygiene problems. At their very worst, wisdom teeth can produce cysts, abscesses, infection, misalignment, and even tumours.
When is the Best Time to Have Wisdom Teeth Pulled?
This is precisely the question that you should discuss with our dentist in St. Albert, who knows your medical and dental history and will look at your teeth and jaw in a series of dental images. The general answer is this: The best time to extract your wisdom teeth is before they cause any complications in your jaw. Proactively removing your wisdom teeth will protect you from future issues and eliminate the need for additional procedures or treatment to correct the negative consequences of wisdom teeth left in place too long.
While every person’s circumstances differ, wisdom teeth can often be removed as early as a person’s mid-teens. Dentists typically recommend surgical teeth extraction in St. Albert by age 25 when it comes to wisdom teeth.
If you are past 25, though, you can still have your wisdom teeth removed after consulting with our dentist in St. Albert. If you’re in your mid-twenties and still have your wisdom teeth, we recommend that you contact our dentist near you for their advice about preventing later complications by having those teeth extracted.
Are you experiencing any untoward symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth, or are your emerging wisdom teeth negatively affecting your other teeth? We encourage you to contact our dentist in St. Albert as soon as possible so they can review your situation and recommend the best approach to resolve any problems as quickly as possible. If on the other hand, you haven’t experienced any negative issues related to wisdom teeth yet, better still. Contact our dentist near you to ask about having them extracted, so you never do.