Wisdom teeth usually emerge at the back of everybody’s mouths in the late teens or early twenties. Usually the wisdom teeth will emerge without any problems. Occasionally though, complications do arise. This can cause considerable pain and discomfort. Impacted wisdom teeth are the most common wisdom teeth emergence problem, occurring when the wisdom teeth emerge at an angle preventing their normal eruption and grow into the adjacent tooth. A lot of pressure is placed on the neighbouring tooth and can also lead to crowding of the teeth.
Another common problem that can occur is when wisdom teeth stop erupting prematurely. As the tooth is only partially erupted, a flap of gum tissue still partially covers the tooth. Underneath this flap of gum tissue bacteria breed freely and easily, making it prone to painful, recurrent infections. This condition is called pericoronitis, and the wisdom teeth may have to be removed if the wisdom teeth are impacted and this infection develops.
It is best to remove wisdom teeth if any of these complications occur to prevent crowding of the teeth, pain, discomfort and infection. The removal of the wisdom teeth is usually a straight forward procedure. It can be done one tooth at a time under local anaesthetic in the dental practice or all four at once (if required) under a general anaesthetic in your local hospital
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.