Wisdom teeth are the last to come through, often between the late teens and the thirties. In some people they find their place and cause no problem. In others they stay blocked in the bone or under the gum, grow at an angle, or come through partly and create a corner that cannot be cleaned. The question is therefore not “should wisdom teeth be removed” but “should this one be removed, in your case”.
The situations that justify a procedure
A partly erupted tooth that gets infected repeatedly, a cavity on the wisdom tooth or on the neighbouring molar it makes impossible to brush, pressure that damages the tooth next to it, or a cyst visible on the X-ray are reasons for extraction. In those cases, waiting exposes you to painful episodes and to damage on the neighbouring teeth.
The situations where we monitor
A fully impacted wisdom tooth, with no symptom and no visible lesion, can be left in place and followed at regular intervals. A tooth that has come through properly, is aligned and can be cleaned is kept like any other molar. Systematic preventive extraction is not the rule, because it exposes a person to a procedure and its aftermath without a proven benefit for them.
How the decision is made at the practice
The oral surgeon examines the area, reads the panoramic X-ray and, if the position of the tooth requires it, a three-dimensional image. He explains the position of the tooth, what it risks causing, what the procedure involves and what aftermath to expect. You then decide, with an estimate in hand. When an extraction is chosen, it takes place at the practice, by the same team, and the instructions for the following days are given to you in writing.
If you have pain at the back of the mouth
A swollen gum behind the last molar, difficulty opening the mouth or pain radiating towards the ear are reasons to call. Describe what you feel on the phone, the team will tell you when to come.
2026-09-14