Can wisdom teeth remain intact?

Wisdom teeth are not unfamiliar to many people. Although it is not a disease, they often become inflamed and the pain is very uncomfortable, and even makes it difficult to eat. But another group of people don’t feel much pain when growing wisdom teeth, and it doesn’t affect their eating, so they think they don’t need to worry about it. So, can wisdom teeth be left unextracted? Will it have a negative impact on people? The following is a detailed introduction for you.

Why are wisdom teeth called wisdom teeth?

Wisdom tooth refers to the third molar on the innermost alveolar bone in the human mouth, which is exactly the eighth tooth counting from the central incisor.

Because it erupts very late, when a person's physical and psychological development is close to maturity, it symbolizes the "arrival of wisdom" and is therefore commonly called "wisdom tooth".

There are great differences between individuals in the growth of wisdom teeth. Normally, there should be four teeth that are symmetrical in the upper and lower left and right directions. Some people have less than four or even none, and very few people have more than four.

The age at which wisdom teeth erupt varies greatly. For some people, they erupt before the age of 20, for others, they grow at the age of 40 or 50, or never grow in their entire lives. This is all normal.

Wisdom teeth, should they be removed or not?

It depends on the situation.

What kind of wisdom teeth do not need to be extracted?

Wisdom teeth do not need to be extracted

That is, the wisdom tooth erupts in a very correct position, and there are opposing teeth above and below it, so it can perform normal chewing functions.

Wisdom teeth that can be saved through treatment

If the position is very correct but there is gum covering the tooth surface, surgery can be performed to achieve normal bite; if the wisdom tooth grows crookedly but there is space for growth, correction can also be performed to retain it.

It should be noted that people who retain wisdom teeth need to pay special attention to oral hygiene, brush their teeth properly in the morning and evening, and brush their wisdom teeth carefully; rinse their mouths promptly after meals to avoid food residues remaining.

What kind of wisdom teeth must be extracted?

In oral clinical practice, there are also very strict regulations on the indications for wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom tooth extraction will only be considered in the following situations:

Dental caries (tooth decay)

If wisdom teeth are decayed, the cavities on the occlusal surface that are not deep can be filled, but the cavities on the adjacent surfaces require very good filling techniques. Instead of filling them, it is better to extract them.

If the wisdom teeth are deeply decayed and require root canal treatment, extraction is also recommended.

Causes adjacent tooth lesions

Patients with adjacent tooth lesions usually do not feel anything, and most of the time, they are discovered by dentists using X-rays.

This is because there is insufficient space for the eruption of wisdom teeth, and the ectopic impaction is tilted against the second molar, making the second molar difficult to clean, or even partially absorbed. In severe cases, it can cause discomfort or pain.

Lack of space causes pericoronary inflammation

This is because the dental arch is getting smaller and smaller, and the patient will experience swelling and pain when the wisdom teeth erupt.

To avoid this from happening again, it is recommended to remove it as soon as possible after the inflammation subsides.

Partial cleaning is difficult

Due to lack of space, wisdom teeth are usually positioned incorrectly, which often makes it difficult to clean the teeth and makes tooth decay more likely to occur.

No opposing teeth

If there is no opposing wisdom tooth opposite the wisdom tooth, the wisdom tooth may over-erupt and elongate, thus affecting the bite. In this case, the wisdom tooth should be extracted.

Impacted wisdom teeth

This is usually the most troublesome one.

This type of tooth is usually buried in the alveolar bone and must be extracted if inflammation often occurs or if a lesion is diagnosed.

Cause other diseases

If wisdom teeth cause odontogenic cysts or tumors, they need to be removed.

Orthodontic needs

In order to ensure the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment, wisdom teeth usually need to be extracted.

Unexplained neuralgia

If impacted teeth are suspected to be the cause of unexplained neuralgia or if they are suspected to be diseased teeth, they should also be extracted.

There are some things to note about wisdom teeth

The best time to remove wisdom teeth

Many people have their wisdom teeth removed only when they have no other choice, but in fact, 13-30 years old is the best time to have wisdom teeth removed, and the development of wisdom teeth should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Preparation before wisdom tooth extraction

The general condition should be good. Women should avoid having teeth during menstrual period. Do not have teeth extracted on an empty stomach. Complex teeth should be extracted in the morning as much as possible. X-rays must be taken before extraction.

Things to note after wisdom tooth extraction

You can eat warm and easy-to-chew food 2 hours after the operation. You cannot brush your teeth or rinse your mouth within 24 hours after the operation. There will be swelling and pain for 2-3 days after the operation, and you should take oral anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.

It should be reminded that women who are planning to become pregnant must have an oral health check before pregnancy. If wisdom teeth need to be removed, they should try to have them removed before pregnancy.

Once you are pregnant, pericoronitis of wisdom teeth will recur repeatedly. If it cannot be controlled, local infection may occur or spread to distant places, causing gap infection, even multiple gap infection, or even abscess formation, which has very serious consequences.

Some misunderstandings about wisdom tooth extraction

Myth 1: Removing wisdom teeth will help slim your face

Although this idea is indeed one of the motivations for many girls to have their teeth removed, removing wisdom teeth will not make your face thinner.

The shape of the face depends on the facial bones, especially the support of the upper and lower jaws. Wisdom teeth only erupt after the jaws are mature. Removing wisdom teeth will not change the shape of the jaws.

If someone says that you have lost weight, it may be because the pain after tooth extraction affected your appetite and caused you to eat less. Don't think too much about it.

Myth 2: Removing wisdom teeth will affect memory

Although they are called "wisdom teeth", wisdom teeth have nothing to do with a person's IQ except that they can affect thinking ability due to pain when pericoronitis occurs.

Some patients feel that their memory deteriorates in the short term after having their wisdom teeth removed, and they may be misled by the name of "wisdom teeth".

In addition, temporary discomfort may also be caused by the anesthetic used during tooth extraction and the relatively strong pain and noise stimulation.

Myth 3: Extracting wisdom teeth will cause adjacent teeth to loosen

The correct way to extract teeth will never cause the adjacent teeth to loosen. The reason why teeth are stable is not because of the crowding of adjacent teeth, but because the roots are rooted in the alveolar bone and are closely combined with the periodontal membrane and the alveolar bone.