Typically, a dentist wants you to keep all of your teeth for as long as possible. For this reason, Dr. Lechner loves offering you some
oral health hints and takes such pride in caring for your teeth. However, in the case of your
third molars, or “wisdom teeth,” it may be beneficial to have these teeth removed. Your third molars typically come in during your late teens or early twenties (your age of wisdom), and that is how they got their nickname as “wisdom teeth.”
It is just a guess, but more than likely you have heard of wisdom teeth. The reason for this is probably due to the stories you have heard from people who had their wisdom teeth out. It used to be thought that your wisdom teeth should be left in. Dentists believed that, even if they came in incorrectly, they could serve a purpose down the road. However, this myth has been debunked, and dentists are left with very little reason to keep your wisdom teeth in.
One of the biggest reasons that dentists recommend having your wisdom teeth out, is due to their positioning in your mouth. Because of being located in the very back of the mouth, caring for your wisdom teeth is next to impossible. As you struggle to care for these teeth, cavities develop that negatively impact the health of your mouth. Additionally, wisdom teeth have a tendency to become impacted, or partially impacted, and cause damage to the surrounding gums, jaw bone, and teeth. If left untreated, wisdom teeth can cause a lot of pain and severe infections that can be dangerous for your health.
In some circumstances, wisdom teeth are left in a patients mouth. The two reasons that we see a patient opting to leave their wisdom teeth in, are for an underlying medical condition that prevents a patient from undergoing the procedure, or due to fear of the procedure. Dr. Lechner strongly encourages patients to have their wisdom teeth out as soon as possible. This will allow you to heal faster and ensure the roots of your wisdom teeth have not fully developed by the time of removal.
If you have any questions about your wisdom teeth, or the procedure to have them removed, feel free to
contact us at our office in
Delaware, Ohio.