Wisdom tooth removal is often needed because these teeth frequently come in at an incorrect angle and many people do not have enough room in their mouth for them. It is thought that long ago in human history there was enough room for the third molars. Also, we guess that tooth loss at an early age was more common long ago, which led to the need for additional molars in the late teen years of life. However, over time, wisdom teeth have provided less of a service to us and are becoming more troublesome.
When we say that a tooth is going to be impacted, what we mean is that as the tooth erupts from the jaw, it will come into contact with another tooth or dental structure that it should not contact leading to overcrowding in the mouth. An impacted tooth is often the cause of significant discomfort and usually, leads to an infection and other complications.
Other reasons wisdom teeth may need to be removed include:
- Sinus problems
- Damage to the jaw
- Damage to surrounding teeth
- Gum inflammation
- Tooth alignment problems
- Mouth overcrowding
- Pain, swelling, and infection
