Should You Get Those Wisdom Teeth Pulled?

Congrats graduates! You made it through what probably felt like the longest 4 years of your life, and now you’re off to experience what many claim are the greatest 4 years of your life. While we know that this summer is going to be full of fun, preparation, last minute packing and goodbyes, we want to encourage you to take time out to check all those things off your list that you haven’t given as much thought to—such as your dental care. But, more importantly, your wisdom teeth.

We know, we know – thinking about your wisdom teeth is the last thing you want to do during this very exciting time of your life, but trust us: you’ll thank us for urging you to get them removed now, as opposed to waiting another 1, 2 or even 5 years…

But let’s say that another dentist, a friend, coworker, family member or classmate told you that you don’t need to get your wisdom teeth removed? In some instances, this would be correct; however, that’s only the case if your wisdom teeth demonstrate ALL FOUR of the following:

·     Completely healthy

·     Grown in completely

·     Positioned correctly

·     Able to be cleaned daily, in their entirety

While some people are lucky enough that their wisdom teeth are all of the above, many peoples’ aren’t, and those are the ones that need to be pulled. If your wisdom teeth aren’t all of the above four, and if you still choose not to get them pulled, you may experience the following problems:

·     You will run the risk of having your wisdom teeth grow in horizontally. Yikes!

·     A lot of times, wisdom teeth either only partially emerge, or they don’t emerge at all. If this happens, they can become impacted or trapped within your jaw.

·     If your wisdom teeth become impacted, a passageway is formed into which bacteria can enter. If this happens, your gums will become inflamed, increasing your risk for gum disease.

Because there are so many problems that can occur with wisdom teeth, most dentists will suggest you get them pulled. We are two of those dentists.

Make your college experience a pain and worry free one – see how we can help you move on with this new chapter of your life with nothing holding you back: http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/library/36/ImpactedWisdomTeeth.html