Wisdom teeth are the third molars in the very back of your mouth. They usually grow later in life—between the teenage years and early 20s. Wisdom teeth removal is a very common procedure a lot of people go through because there are a lot of health issues associated with wisdom teeth. It is thought that the earlier in life you have your wisdom teeth extracted, the better. However, many people ask if you can have wisdom teeth removal as an adult.

Can You Have Wisdom Teeth Removal as an Adult?

In this article, we explain why wisdom teeth extraction can be necessary and what the best age for it is.

Reasons for Wisdom Teeth Removal

For some people, wisdom teeth do not cause any issues and can be kept. The signs that you may not need to remove your wisdom teeth include:

• Your wisdom teeth are fully out and do not cause any disturbance or pain to the surrounding gums
• Your wisdom teeth are able to be cleaned properly every time and remain healthy
• They are in the right place and do not cause the overcrowdedness of your other teeth

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, wisdom teeth can cause a lot of issues, discomfort, or pain. These are the situations in which your dentist will most likely recommend you take out your wisdom teeth:

Your wisdom teeth do not have enough room to grow in the right way. By growing, they start pushing the surrounding teeth, causing them to crowd. This can lead to hygiene issues because it becomes harder to clean all your teeth properly. It can also make your front teeth look not as straight as they used to, or spoil the results of previous orthodontic teeth straightening treatments. In such cases, wisdom teeth are removed to preserve the room for the rest of your teeth.

Complications

Sometimes your wisdom teeth are positioned in such a way that it is very hard to reach them with a toothbrush and clean properly. In this case, pluck starts to build up, leading to cavities and tooth decay. This causes tooth pain and unpleasant smell. The decayed tooth has to be extracted to prevent further serious complications like infections and abscesses.
The wisdom teeth can not come out to the surface of your gums at all. This condition is called impacted wisdom teeth. It can be painful or cause constant soreness of the gums. It also can lead to cysts and infections. Sometimes, the surrounding teeth roots or even the jaw bone can be negatively affected by impacted wisdom teeth.

Wisdom Teeth Problems

In some cases, wisdom teeth can only partially come through the gums to the surface. One problem is that it can cause constant soreness of the surrounding gum tissue. It is also very hard to clean such teeth, and bacteria starts to collect in these areas. It is dangerous, because partially grown wisdom teeth can provide a pathway for the bacteria to the inside of your gums. This can lead to gum disease, later loosening the support for your other teeth. Typically, wisdom teeth that have only grown partway are removed.

The Best Age For Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Young adults—between 15 to 25 years old—tend to have easier and faster recovery from wisdom teeth removal. This is because regeneration processes are better than those older people have. On top of that, the jawbone tissue is still slightly softer at that age. That is why dentists recommend taking out problematic wisdom teeth at that age. This is also the reason why some dentists recommend extracting wisdom teeth for young adults even before the teeth start causing problems. It ensures that wisdom teeth will not be an issue later on in life and that any possible complications are avoided.

You can still have your wisdom teeth removed as an adult. Typically, wisdom teeth removal for adult people does not cause any significant problems. The surgery and the recovery process may be more complicated due to the slower regeneration and the fact that the bones in your mouth are already fully formed. However, wisdom teeth removal for adults is not impossible and remains to be very common.

Possible Complications

There are several types of complications that might, but not necessarily, occur when wisdom teeth are removed. Surgical risks and complexity might be the case. It is due to the fact that the roots of the wisdom teeth might become very long later on in life and be entangled with the nerves in the patient’s jawbone. Sometimes it is necessary to cut through the jawbone and to remove a wisdom tooth piece by piece to avoid damaging the nerves. If wisdom teeth do not cause any issues for an adult patient, it is sometimes recommended to leave them in place to avoid surgical risks.

The experienced oral surgeons at The Smile Specialists CA will take x-rays before the procedure to determine if your wisdom teeth can be removed, how they are positioned, and to be prepared for any complications that can occur during the surgery. Make an appointment at our office to check the condition of your wisdom teeth and to have them carefully removed if need be.