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WHY DO I NEED TO HAVE MY WISDOM TEETH REMOVED?

Medically reviewed by Saad Bassas, DDS — Board-Certified Prosthodontist · Diplomate, American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry

If you’re one of the lucky few who was born without your wisdom teeth, give yourself a high five and a pat on the back! If, however, you’re like most of us and have at least one of your wisdom teeth, we’d like to share some information about why it’s so important to remove them.

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth, also known as “second molars,” are four molars at the back of your jaw that typically don’t erupt at the same time as your other adult teeth. You will not feel your wisdom teeth before they begin to erupt, and you likely won’t even know they’re there until your dentist discovers them at your routine dental imaging.

Our ancestors needed these second molars to process and chew foods in their raw, tough-on-teeth diets—but as we’ve evolved, our modern mouths and diets no longer need these teeth.

Because they tend to erupt during the late teenage years or early twenties after childhood, these teeth became known as “wisdom teeth.”

Why do wisdom teeth need to come out?

Because our mouths are smaller than our ancestors’ were, most of us no longer need extra teeth—in fact, wisdom teeth are notorious for messing up the alignment of smiles when they try to erupt where there is no room.

More often than not, your Roseville, MN dentist will recommend removing your wisdom teeth to:

Protect your other teeth from shifting or moving to make room for the wisdom teeth, especially if you’ve already had braces
Prevent your wisdom teeth from coming in crooked
Avoid painful and dangerous infections and cysts that can develop around wisdom teeth
Keep you from experiencing the sinus pain and pressure that wisdom teeth can cause

In addition to these reasons, it’s also incredibly hard to keep wisdom teeth clean due to their location deep in your mouth. It’s best for most patients and most situations to remove wisdom teeth before they get above the gumline.

How can I schedule a wisdom teeth consultation in Sartell?

Are you wondering if you need your wisdom teeth removed? Or maybe you’re curious whether you have wisdom teeth at all! No matter your questions or concerns, our caring dental team at i-Implant Dentistry can help.

Give us a call today to schedule a consultation for wisdom teeth in Roseville, MN.

Medically reviewed by Saad Bassas, DDS

Dr. Saad Bassas is a board-certified prosthodontist and a Diplomate of both the American Board of Prosthodontics and the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry — a dual distinction held by only a small number of dentists in the United States. He completed residency training in both oral surgery and prosthodontics, which qualifies him to surgically place and prosthetically restore dental implants himself rather than dividing that care between two providers. With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Bassas performs hundreds of implant and bone-grafting procedures each year at i-Implant Dentistry in Roseville and Sartell, Minnesota, and is specially licensed to provide IV sedation. He has practiced dentistry in Minnesota since 2003.