Wisdom Teeth Woes: When It’s Time to Say Goodbye

Today, many people have wisdom teeth extraction in their late teens or early 20s, and often, this is related to wisdom teeth woes like pain and swelling. At the Oral and Facial Surgery Institute of Houston, our talented team of oral and facial surgery specialists have seen firsthand how wisdom teeth can cause discomfort and even derail daily life if left untreated. Many of our patients ask us when the right time to remove their wisdom teeth is: Should they remove them now, later, or never? In this blog, we explore all three options so you can make the best choice for your oral health.

Preventive Wisdom Teeth Removal

Prevention is a common reason for wisdom teeth extractions today. Many people have too little space in their dental arches to hold extra teeth. When wisdom teeth erupt, they can push on your other molars, causing a domino effect that can eventually misalign the whole tooth arch. As the teeth shift, tooth decay and gum disease risk increases because brushing and flossing properly becomes harder.

Even worse, wisdom teeth could get trapped under the gums or bone, becoming impacted because they have nowhere to go. This may cause severe pain, infections, and, potentially, destruction of your other teeth and the jaw bone beneath them. Wisdom teeth extraction is often recommended in young adulthood (usually no earlier than the late teens and no later than around 24 years old). This is a proactive way to protect oral health and prevent serious problems before they can happen.

While rare, there might be times we recommend a watch-and-wait approach if you have plenty of room for your wisdom teeth to erupt and they aren’t causing any problems.

Problems That Require Wisdom Teeth Removal

While preventive removal is common, some people experience wisdom teeth eruption and complications early in life. If you’re experiencing pain in or near your wisdom teeth, it could indicate that you need extraction. Other signs that you could need wisdom teeth removal are:

• Frequent new cavities
• New teeth misalignment
• Recurrent infections behind your back molars
• Cysts or tumors in the back of your mouth
• Swollen gums
• New sinus pressure

Our team evaluates your oral health carefully with physical exams and advanced imaging tests. We check the positions of your wisdom teeth and determine whether they’re the root of your problems before we recommend removal.

Comfortable Wisdom Teeth Removal in Houston

We prioritize your comfort and safety during wisdom teeth removal, offering nitrous oxide, local, and deep sedation to make your procedure as smooth and easy as possible. Ready to take care of those troublesome wisdom teeth? Call us at 281-491-4545 to make an appointment today. Let’s work together to keep your smile healthy and pain-free.