Do You Have to Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed if they Don’t Cause Pain?

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Is it necessary to have wisdom teeth removed?

It’s almost like a rite of passage for young adults to have their wisdom teeth removed. This is often because wisdom teeth are impacted and have started causing problems with your surrounding teeth, gums, or oral health in general.

Many people experience pain when they have a problem with their wisdom teeth, so there’s often a belief that no pain means there’s no reason to take them out. Today, we’re going to discuss whether or not that’s true, along with problems that wisdom teeth can cause and potential issues that you may experience after extraction or oral surgery.

Problems That Your Wisdom Teeth Can Cause

Some people will live their entire lives without having any problem with their wisdom teeth, but this is pretty rare. In most cases, you’ll reach a point where it’s recommended that you have your wisdom teeth removed because, for whatever reason, they haven’t been able to grow properly and are causing dental problems. You may experience one or more of these issues:

  • Tooth Damage — Your wisdom teeth could push against other teeth and cause problems with pain and your bite.
  • Jaw Damage — Cysts may form around the teeth and lead to jaw bone and nerve damage.
  • Tooth Decay — Swollen gums can create pockets of bacterial, potentially resulting in cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss.
  • Sinus Issues — When wisdom teeth become problematic, this can also result in sinus pain, pressure, and congestion.
  • Inflamed Gums — If the teeth cause swollen tissue, you may find the area to be difficult to clean.
  • Crooked Teeth — in some cases, crowding caused by impacted wisdom teeth could prevent other teeth from staying straight.

Why Remove Wisdom Teeth If There’s No Pain?

Wisdom tooth pain is very often what brings someone to the dentist, at which point they’re often told that they need to have the teeth removed.

As you can see from the list of potential oral problems that can be caused by wisdom teeth, however, there are plenty of situations where you may not feel any pain at all but still need to have them taken out. Depending on which teeth are giving you problems, the dentist may recommend removing all four wisdom teeth at once or removing the top teeth in one session and the bottom teeth in another.

Potential Problems After Wisdom Teeth Removal

Having your wisdom teeth removed is a very common procedure with few concerns. However, any type of extraction or oral surgery may cause discomfort and make you vulnerable to certain oral issues. Following wisdom teeth removal, you may experience any of the following:

  • Pain and Swelling — Any extraction will lead to some degree of pain and swelling. In addition to applying ice, the dentist will provide you with narcotic medications for the pain and anti-inflammatories in most cases.
  • Sore Jaw — Some extractions can be more difficult than others. If your wisdom teeth have become damaged and extraction is difficult, for instance, you may have a sore jaw for a couple of weeks due to muscle and nerve strain.
  • Dry Socket — If the blood clot that’s needed for healing dissolves too soon, this could cause a dry socket to form. This rarely happens, but if it does, contact the dentist immediately and he or she will fix it with dressing and an antiseptic solution.
  • Pus Pocket — Known as a subperiosteal abscess, this pus pocket develops from the trapping of bone and tissue debris during the healing process. This is treated by draining the abscess and giving you antibiotics.
  • Infection — Bacterial infections are also quite rare, but it’s something to be aware of. If this happens, your dentist will prescribe antibiotics to clear it up.

How You Can Prevent Wisdom Teeth Removal

The truth is that there isn’t anything that you can do to prevent wisdom teeth removal. The way that your wisdom teeth grow is out of your control. However, you can lessen the impact of any dental issues by following these simple steps for overall oral care:

  • Brush and Floss — Brushing twice and flossing once per day will go a long way to maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
  • Dentist Visits — Visiting the dentist twice per year or whenever you feel that there’s a problem will help prevent small dental issues from becoming worse.
  • Fluoride Mouthwash — Adding a fluoride mouthwash to your daily dental routine will kill bacteria and improve your oral health.
  • Dental Cleanings — In addition to visiting the dentist, you should set up a dental cleaning every six months to clear away bacteria and plaque.

Contact Dr. Ferullo for Problems with Your Wisdom Teeth

If you’ve been experiencing any problems with your wisdom teeth or would like to have them examined, Dr. Ferullo can help. Simply visit our website or call our St. Petersburg dentist office at (727) 822-8101 today and we’ll set you up with an appointment. Be sure to ask about our free whitening treatments!

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