Did you know that approximately 85 percent of people will need their wisdom teeth extracted at some point in their lifetime? While many people have their wisdom teeth removed in their late teenage years, some adults who have retained their wisdom teeth may begin experiencing complications with them later in life and can benefit from their extraction. At Scott and Derry Dental Care in Milton, Ontario, our team of dentists offers wisdom tooth consultations and, when appropriate, gentle extractions to help preserve your oral health. 

Reasons wisdom teeth might need to be extracted

Wisdom tooth extractions essentially boil down to one main reason: lack of space in the mouth for the teeth to grow in properly. While this may seem like a simple concept, a variety of complications can occur when the wisdom teeth do not have sufficient room to erupt, including:

• Fracturing or damaging the neighbouring teeth
• Causing the other teeth to shift in the mouth, becoming misaligned
• Development of cysts or infection around the tooth
• Increased risk of cavities and gum disease
• Problems with the neighbouring sinuses
• Pain and inflammation in the gums

What to expect

While some people’s wisdom teeth can erupt through the gums and only require a simple extraction procedure, others may have impacted wisdom teeth, which means they have become stuck beneath the gum line and cannot fully emerge. As a result, these teeth need to be surgically removed by placing a small incision in the gums to access them. The impacted teeth are then removed (typically in pieces), and sutures are used to close the incision.