Has your dentist ever advised you to get your wisdom tooth extracted? While having a surgical procedure can be unpleasant to many people, wisdom teeth removal helps ensure optimal dental health and comfort. However, some people want to continue keeping their wisdom teeth, but they need to be aware of the many potential risks of wisdom tooth retention.
Can You Keep Your Wisdom Teeth?
Some people can keep their wisdom teeth, but only under certain circumstances.
You probably heard the idea of “there is no need to fix something that is not broken,” and it stands true about keeping your wisdom teeth. If the wisdom teeth are healthy and not causing any pain, an extraction may not be necessary.
Here are the factors determining if you can properly function with your wisdom teeth.
Jaw Size
Evolution has changed the size of the human jaw. Today, the human jaw comes in different shapes and sizes. Despite the evolutionary changes, some people’s jaw still has enough space for wisdom teeth. Large upper and lower jaws enables full development and eruption of wisdom teeth, allowing them to function normally throughout your lifetime.
Size of Wisdom Teeth
Your existing teeth can influence the sustainability of wisdom teeth. In some people, their wisdom teeth can be significantly smaller than their typical molars. Some may even have underdeveloped roots. Since small-sized wisdom teeth with underdeveloped roots do not have enough chewing power and have a higher risk of tooth loss. Your family dentist will recommend wisdom teeth extraction to prevent potential dental problems.
Cleanability
It is perhaps the most critical deciding factor that will determine whether to remove or retain your wisdom teeth. To maintain the health of your wisdom teeth, clean them properly and consistently.
Since your wisdom teeth are located in the furthest reaches of your mouth, keeping them thoroughly clean is often challenging, if not downright impossible. Plaque can quickly accumulate on the wisdom teeth, putting them at higher risk for dental caries and gum disease. When left untreated, cavities can spread to the neighboring teeth, and worsening gum disease can also put you at risk of tooth loss and other serious dental problems.
Cavity Risk
People with a higher risk of developing more cavities should never try keeping their wisdom teeth. No matter how vigorously you keep your teeth clean, your wisdom teeth can still harbor more plaque-producing bacteria than the rest of your teeth. To protect the nearby teeth from cavities, be sure to have them removed by your dentist as soon as possible.
Gum Disease Risk
The same is true for gum disease. Your wisdom teeth provide a thriving place for bacteria that can cause severe and chronic gum problems. Extraction of wisdom teeth helps reduce and control the population of harmful oral bacteria that can cause gum infections and other dental issues.
When Is Wisdom Teeth Extraction Necessary?
Some people postpone wisdom teeth removal until they experience pain and discomfort. Typically, dentists recommend the removal of wisdom teeth most of the time. Even if your wisdom teeth are fully developed and erupted, they can cause future dental problems. Since they are hard to keep clean and prone to dental caries, retaining your wisdom teeth can make you more susceptible to pain and infections. Visit the nearest dental office in Oakville for a dental consultation to determine if it is safe to keep your wisdom teeth or if you need an extraction to prevent infection of wisdom teeth.
Here are some of the most common reasons you should remove your wisdom teeth.
Impacted Wisdom Tooth

Not enough room in the mouth prevents the wisdom teeth from fully emerging, causing the tooth to become impacted. When this happens, the developing wisdom tooth pushes into the adjacent molar, crowding the teeth and preventing the tooth from erupting through the gumline properly.
Symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include pain in the jaw, nearby teeth, and jaw. In some cases, impacted tooth goes unnoticed until you undergo a dental X-ray. Even if you do not feel any pain, an impacted tooth should be removed before it causes dental health issues.
Oral Pain

While pain may indicate a variety of dental health issues, it is crucial to determine the cause of the symptoms. The dentist will recommend a dental X-ray to see if you have an impacted tooth.
Pain around the wisdom tooth is a sign that you should consult your dentist and book wisdom teeth removal in Oakville. The pain may radiate from the jaw, gums, the tooth itself, or neighboring teeth. If you experience pain or discomfort every time you chew, it is because your mouth does not have enough space for the wisdom tooth to erupt.
Prevention
Having a fully developed and erupted wisdom tooth does not necessarily mean that you will not experience any dental problems in the future. Since many patients develop issues with their wisdom teeth, the extraction of wisdom teeth seems to be a viable solution to prevent painful symptoms and other dental issues, including:
Tooth decay
Damage to the adjacent teeth
Temporomandibular jaw (TMJ) disorder
Infection of the surrounding gum tissues
Periodontal disease
Cysts
If the opposite wisdom tooth is missing or being removed, extraction may be recommended by your dentist. In this case, there is a tendency for the tooth above or below the missing tooth to extend into the vacated space.
In some cases, the removal of the wisdom tooth may not always be necessary. However, you need to understand the condition of your teeth. Before undergoing an impacted wisdom tooth extraction, the dentist will prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection.
At Family Dentistry Tree, we will conduct a thorough examination to determine if a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary. Our team of dental professionals and oral surgeons have the right skills and experience in wisdom tooth removal.
Reach us and book an oral examination in our dental office in Oakville by giving us a call at (905) 845-1833 or sending us an email at [email protected].