For many teenage and young adult patients, wisdom tooth extraction is sort of a rite of passage; however, what if you never underwent this process at that age? Perhaps your wisdom teeth simply never made an appearance during your youth, or maybe you had other things going on that kept you too busy to undergo the procedure. Whatever the case, you may now find yourself wondering if that ship has sailed and if it’s perhaps too late to have your wisdom teeth removed. Here’s why you don’t need to worry!
Why Do Wisdom Teeth Usually Need to Be Removed?
The wisdom teeth are commonly removed for a simple reason: many patients don’t have enough space in their mouths for the teeth! This is due mostly to evolution; humans have evolved past the point of needing these extra molars, since our diets have become softer, and our mouths have shrunk over the generations. Some other common reasons for wisdom tooth extraction include:
- The teeth are impacted, which means they aren’t erupting at the correct angles.
- The teeth are causing damage or displacement to other nearby teeth.
- The teeth are preventing proper jaw movement and functionality.
Is There an Ideal Age to Undergo Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
During a dental appointment, your dentist can examine your mouth and take X-rays and digital scans to determine if it’s best to have these teeth removed. It’s true that it’s technically better to have wisdom teeth removed early since their roots aren’t as embedded into the jaw during youth. That said, they can still be removed later in life; there is no upper age limit for the procedure! While the process hardly differs between older and younger patients, it is worth mentioning that since older adults tend to be at higher risk of certain dental issues, their recovery periods require a fair amount of diligence.
Some rare and lucky people never experience problems with their wisdom teeth, and as a result, don’t end up needing them removed. However, problems can still develop later in life, or it’s common for patients to not realize how serious certain problems are until they’ve begun causing pain.
If you suspect your wisdom teeth may be starting to cause problems, don’t delay in speaking with your dentist; it’s never too late to have them removed and put your smile’s future first!
About the Practice
South Florida Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery has proudly served patients in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, and West Palm Beach for several years. They offer a wide variety of services, including wisdom tooth extraction performed in-house by their talented team. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with the team to schedule an appointment, please feel free to reach out online or call today for more information. Jupiter Office Telephone: (561) 203-5744.