Statistics show that over 5 million people have their wisdom teeth extracted every year. Even though this is a staggering number, there are still quite a number of people who prefer not to have their wisdom teeth removed. The question still remains, is it really necessary to have wisdom teeth removed? And if so, what happens if you delay having your wisdom teeth pulled out? Is it dangerous to delay wisdom teeth extraction? Below is a summary of some of the possibilities that may occur if you delay wisdom teeth extraction.
Impaction
Impaction is a common complication that arises from wisdom teeth and is the number one reason for most wisdom teeth extractions. For wisdom teeth to fully erupt, there needs to be enough space in the jawbone. Limited space in the jawbone may lead to the tooth ending up partially erupted or completely concealed inside the gum and this can lead to a series of other dental complications such as cavity and infections. Therefore, to avoid impaction, the dentist may recommend extraction of the wisdom teeth to eliminate these possibilities.
MALOCCLUSION
Wisdom teeth can sometimes erupt fully, but affect the adjacent teeth in the process. Due to limited space in the jawbone, the wisdom teeth squeeze themselves to fit in and in the process pushes the adjacent teeth out of their normal position. This in turn causes misalignment and may affect one’s bite drastically warranting orthodontic treatment which is a more expensive and tedious process while you could have just had wisdom teeth extracted.
Pericoronitis
Pericoronitis occurs when a wisdom tooth partially erupts causing inflammation of the gum tissue surrounding it. This can cause extreme pain in the jaw if left untreated. Therefore, it is advisable to have your wisdom teeth extracted when recommended by the dentist to avoid this happening.
Infections
The fact that wisdom teeth are located at the far back end of your mouth makes it difficult to properly clean them. Lack of proper hygiene in that area for a prolonged period of time may lead to bacteria starting to breed in that area causing cavities and infection in the gum tissue. Infections can spread inside the wisdom tooth sac resulting in a jaw cyst. Besides being very painful, jaw cysts can infect the surrounding bone and tissue and even nerves. Once it reaches this point, the only treatment would be oral surgery to remove the damaged bone and tissue to avoid spreading the infection. You can also develop other periodontal infections such as gingivitis.
Nerve damage
If you remove your wisdom teeth at a much later age than recommended, you run the risk of damaging the mandibular nerve. The delay in the removal of wisdom teeth only makes the process more complicated, putting you at risk of other complications. Nerve damage has been known to cause loss of sensation in some patients.
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