Reasons to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Extracted Sooner Rather than Later

Many of our young adult patients will eventually hear that we recommend they have their wisdom teeth removed. For some of these patients, this news will come as no surprise. Their wisdom teeth are already causing them pain, and they were ready to schedule surgery yesterday. But the many patients who aren’t feeling any pain may very well wonder why we’re recommending they remove their teeth at all. While we’d never advocate for having these teeth removed without a cause if your Calgary dentist is recommending you have your wisdom teeth pulled there are some reasons you may want to schedule your appointment soon.

Softer Bones.

You may already know that orthodontics works better in teens and that the treatments take less time with less discomfort. This is because the jawbones of teens aren’t as rock solid as those in adults. The softer bones also help to make extracting wisdom teeth easier. Younger Canadians have a faster recovery time and less risk of complications. If your dentist is already seeing problems that will need to be dealt with eventually, it can be a good idea to fix them now while your jaws are softer.

More Cavities.

While your wisdom teeth may not be bothering you yet, they may be bugging your gums. This can cause swelling. The swollen gums may not hurt, but they will make it harder to brush your teeth and floss effectively. As a result, you may end up with more cavities.

Parental Health Insurance.

Another consideration may be how long you’ll be covered by your parent's health insurance. We’re not going to lie: having your wisdom teeth extracted can be expensive. If you can coordinate with your dentist and your parents’ coverage, it may be a good idea to have the teeth removed while you still have great insurance.

Tooth and Jaw Damage.

The biggest concern your dentist will have is the health of your teeth and jaws. As your wisdom teeth come in — or even if they stay well below the gum line, they can push up against other teeth or the roots of other teeth. This pressure causes the roots or tooth to slowly dissolve back into the body. Another potential problem is that cysts can form around the wisdom teeth. Without treatment, these cysts can hollow out part of your jaw and damage your nerves.

At Metro Dental, we understand that your wisdom teeth may not be causing you any pain. You may have decided to treat your wisdom teeth as annoying but inevitable roommates. Perhaps you’ve decided that if they don’t bother you, you won’t bother them. But wisdom teeth can slowly cause a lot of bother. More cavities, damage to other teeth and your jaws, and a harder recovery are all things you should be balancing when considering whether or not to have your wisdom teeth removed.