Highlands Ranch Dentist Gives 4 Reasons Not to Put Off Wisdom Teeth Removal

Your wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to emerge, typically appearing when you’re between the ages of 17 and 25. Despite the prevalence of wisdom teeth extractions, not everyone needs them. Wisdom teeth only need to be removed when they don’t have enough room to emerge properly. This means they’re impacted, a.k.a. stuck. 

If you’ve been putting off getting your impacted wisdom teeth removed, below are four reasons why you should not delay any longer, from Restore Dental’s dentist in Highlands Ranch. 

Pain Relief

A sign that your wisdom teeth are impacted is constant pain that gets worse over time as your teeth try and fail to emerge. This pain can radiate to the jaw, neck, and even the ears. By removing the impacted wisdom teeth, you can finally find relief from this constant pain.

Avoid Damage to Other Teeth

Sometimes, impacted wisdom teeth are situated horizontally rather than vertically. As a horizontal wisdom tooth tries to emerge, it can push against those neighboring teeth, causing them to shift or even crack. You may then need expensive dental procedures to fix the damage. That’s on top of still needing to remove the impacted wisdom teeth. Trust us—it’s not worth waiting. 

Prevent Infection

When wisdom teeth are impacted, they can create pockets in the gums where bacteria can easily grow and cause infection. Signs of this are swelling, redness, and even fever. In severe cases, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, causing serious health complications. By removing the impacted wisdom teeth sooner rather than later, you can prevent these infections from occurring and protect your overall health.

Easier Recovery

The longer you wait to have your impacted wisdom teeth removed, the more difficult your recovery process will be. This is because, as you age, the bones in your jaw become denser, making it harder for the wisdom teeth to be removed. It’s a tougher procedure and, by extension, tougher on you. You might also have a longer recovery time because of lingering infection or inflammation that comes with delaying extraction. 

Early removal helps you bounce back quicker. You’ll have age, better health, and less jawbone density on your side. 

How Do You Know You Have Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

Our dentist in Highlands Ranch can determine this for you. When you come in for regular dental checkups at Restore Dental, we monitor your wisdom teeth through exams and X-rays. We can look at the movement of your wisdom teeth over time and judge the space in your mouth for them. Based on your progress, we can determine the right time to schedule an extraction if necessary.

If what’s holding you back is a fear of dentists or surgery, we offer sedation dentistry options like oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide. These can help you relax and make the extraction procedure go faster. 

Why Wait? Contact Restore Dental for Your Wisdom Teeth

Put simply, it’s not worth putting off impacted wisdom teeth removal. Doing so risks your entire smile and your overall health. If you are experiencing any discomfort or have already been told that your wisdom teeth are impacted, schedule a consultation with our Highlands Ranch dentist as soon as possible.