Adults Need to Know About Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth typically erupt between the ages of 17 and 25, and oral surgeons in San Diego often recommend removing them at this time. Otherwise, these back molars may not have enough room to erupt properly. This can cause oral health problems, such as infections. However, not everyone has wisdom teeth removal earlier in life. If your back molars start causing problems later in life, there are a few things you should know about the extraction procedure.

Reasons to Remove Wisdom Teeth

Your oral surgeon likely wouldn’t recommend removing your wisdom teeth later in life unless they are causing problems. If they didn’t erupt properly, they might exert pressure on the adjacent teeth and cause misalignments. Or, impaction might lead to an abscess, which is a pocket of infected pus. Another reason to remove your wisdom teeth is to create enough space to maintain good oral hygiene. It’s difficult to brush and floss thoroughly if there is very little space between the molars.

Risks of Surgery Later in Life

In the hands of a skilled oral surgeon, wisdom tooth extraction isn’t terribly risky. However, the risk does increase slightly with age. This is because older adults have fully formed molar roots. Fully formed roots are more difficult to remove. If they’re located close to a nerve, there is a risk of nerve damage. Adults also face a longer recovery time because of this, especially if the teeth were impacted.

Steps to Take to Prepare

Another difference between wisdom tooth extraction in early adulthood compared to extraction later in life is that older adults are more likely to have other health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. Tell the oral surgeon about all of your medical conditions, as well as your medications and supplements. Your surgeon may ask you to discontinue certain medications temporarily, such as blood-thinners.

Considerations for Your Recovery

You’ll need someone to drive you home after your procedure. The recovery for adults can take a little longer, so take a few days off work. This is particularly important if you have a customer-facing job, as your face will swell up for a while.