Researchers speculate that wisdom teeth are leftover from a time when ancient humans needed to consume a lot of tough foods like roots and needed the extra teeth that erupt in the late adolescent years to provide greater bite strength and replace lost teeth. However, nowadays wisdom teeth are no longer needed and can increase your risk of dental problems if they aren’t removed.
Wisdom teeth that don’t have enough space can become impacted, in which they come in sideways or don’t erupt at all. The pressure this causes on your molars can be painful and may need to be alleviated by removing the wisdom teeth.
Even if your wisdom teeth erupt properly without any issues, their location in the back of your mouth makes plaque and tartar buildup hard to remove, increasing their likelihood of developing tooth decay and even gum disease.
Dr. Chad Ellis may recommend the removal of healthy wisdom teeth to prevent them from needing to be extracted in the future when they have fused to the bone and could result in a much longer recovery time.
To learn if you would benefit from wisdom tooth removal in Orem, Utah, f call The Smile Studio at 801-225-5594 and schedule a consultation with our dentist.
1375 E. 800 N., Suite 201, Orem, UT 84097