Does Everyone Have to Have Their Wisdom Teeth Extracted?

Jul 14 • 1 minute read

Teen girl brushing her teeth.

We decided some time ago to use our blog to educate the public. We consider it an extension of our responsibility as health care providers to improve public health overall. This week, we're answering a question we hear often: Does everyone get their wisdom teeth pulled?

The simple answer is no; not everyone will need to have their wisdom extracted, but most will. It's hard to narrow down a solid figure, but about 80% of people have their wisdom teeth removed, and many people who initially don't will have to have their wisdom teeth removed later in life.

We always recommend you consult with a dentist regarding wisdom tooth extraction.

Top Reasons People Need Their Wisdom Teeth Extracted

Not enough room: When wisdom teeth erupt (come through the gums), they cram 4 more teeth into a space that often isn't big enough to accommodate. This not only causes misalignment of the rest of your teeth, but it can also cause impacted wisdom teeth, which is when the wisdom teeth don't actually erupt.
Infection: If you have persistent pain or swelling in your gums where your wisdom teeth, this may be the sign of an infection. This is especially common in partially erupted wisdom teeth, which can gather food particles and bacteria in pockets around the emerging tooth. When this occurs, most dentists will recommend an extraction to protect healthy gum tissue and the surrounding teeth.
Wisdom teeth don't come in straight: In some cases, wisdom teeth seem to want to come in sideways. This can cause serious bite alignment issues and make it difficult to properly clean around your gums and teeth. To prevent damage and further oral health issues, dentists will recommend an extraction when this occurs.

Thanks for Reading!

Regular dental visits allow dentists to monitor the progress of wisdom teeth eruption in multiple ways, including using digital x-rays. This is one of the reasons we stress the important of regular checkups, especially for growing children. Regular checkups will allow families to plan better in the likely case their children need a wisdom tooth extraction.

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