Do I Need My Wisdom Teeth Removed?

You likely need your wisdom teeth removed if they are impacted, only partly through the gum, painful, decayed, infected, or pushing on the tooth in front. Wisdom teeth that came in straight and can be kept clean can usually stay. The only way to know is an exam with X-rays, which at Bleu Dentistry is $99 and gives you a written answer the same day.

What are wisdom teeth and why do they cause trouble?

Wisdom teeth are the third molars, the last four teeth to develop. They usually try to come in between ages 17 and 25. By then the rest of the teeth have settled and, for most people, the jaw simply does not have room for four more molars at the back.

When there is no room, a wisdom tooth does one of a few things. It stays trapped under the gum or bone, which is called impacted. It comes in at an angle and leans into the second molar. Or it breaks partway through the gum and stops, leaving a flap of tissue that traps food and bacteria. Each of those situations tends to get worse rather than better, which is why dentists watch wisdom teeth closely in the late teens and early twenties.

What are the signs a wisdom tooth needs to come out?

Some impacted wisdom teeth announce themselves. Others stay quiet for years. These are the symptoms that most often bring people to Bleu Dentistry.

• Pain or pressure at the back of the jaw. Often a dull ache that comes and goes, sometimes sharper when biting. It can radiate to the ear or the side of the head.
• Swollen, red or bleeding gum behind the last molar. A partly erupted tooth leaves a gum flap that gets inflamed and infected. Dentists call this pericoronitis, and it tends to flare every few weeks.
• Bad taste or bad breath from one spot. Trapped food and bacteria under the gum flap are the usual cause.
• Difficulty opening your mouth fully. Swelling and muscle guarding around an infected wisdom tooth can limit how wide you can open.
• Crowding or a shifting front tooth. A wisdom tooth leaning forward puts steady pressure on the second molar and, over time, on the whole arch.
• Decay you cannot reach. A wisdom tooth that is partly covered or tucked behind the second molar is nearly impossible to brush and floss well, so it decays, and it can decay the tooth next to it too.

If you recognize two or more of these, book an exam. Waiting rarely makes a wisdom tooth easier to remove.

Do all wisdom teeth have to be removed?

No, and a good exam should say so plainly. A wisdom tooth can stay when it has come all the way in, sits upright in line with the other molars, has healthy gum around it, and can be reached with a toothbrush and floss. Plenty of adults keep one or more wisdom teeth for life without a problem.

Removal is recommended when the tooth is impacted or partly erupted, when it is already decayed or infected, when it is damaging the neighbor, when a cyst has formed around it, or when the X-ray makes it clear that one of those outcomes is coming. The decision is made tooth by tooth. It is common to remove two and keep two.

How does the exam decide?

The $99 exam with X-rays covers three things. The dentist looks at the gum, the position of the tooth, and the tooth in front of it. The X-ray shows what the eye cannot: whether the tooth is fully under bone, how the roots are shaped, and how close they sit to the nerve that runs through the lower jaw. Then you get a straight answer and a written price for each tooth before anything is scheduled.

What is the difference between a simple and a surgical extraction?

An erupted wisdom tooth that is fully above the gum can usually be loosened and lifted out like any other tooth. That is a simple extraction, and at Bleu Dentistry it is $150 to $300 per tooth. An impacted tooth has to be uncovered, and sometimes divided into sections, before it can come out. That is a surgical extraction, $250 to $650 per tooth depending on how deep the tooth sits and how the roots are shaped. Both are done in-house at the Oak Lawn office, including impacted teeth, so you are not sent somewhere else for a second consultation and a second wait. Full detail is on the wisdom teeth removal page, and the cost breakdown is in how much wisdom teeth removal costs in Dallas.

Why is earlier usually better?

Wisdom tooth roots finish forming in the early twenties. Before that, the roots are shorter and the bone around them is softer, so removal is quicker and recovery is easier. After that, roots can grow long and curved and wrap toward the nerve, which turns a routine removal into a harder one. That is the practical reason dentists suggest evaluating wisdom teeth around 17 to 21 even when nothing hurts yet. It is not a rule to remove them all. It is a rule to look early.

What if my wisdom tooth hurts right now?

Come in. Bleu Dentistry sees emergency patients the same day on every clinic day: Monday and Wednesday from 10 AM to 7 PM, Friday 3 PM to 7 PM, and Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM. Walk in at 3607 Oak Lawn Ave, Suite 250, or book online any hour. If the exam shows a straightforward case, the tooth can often come out the same visit. If you are anxious about the procedure, ask about sedation options when you book. Todo nuestro equipo habla español.

Until you are seen, rinse gently with warm salt water, keep the area as clean as you can, and use an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed on the label. Do not put aspirin on the gum, and do not wait out swelling that is spreading toward your eye or throat. That needs an emergency room first.

Bottom line

Wisdom teeth need to come out when they are impacted, partly erupted, infected, decayed, or damaging the tooth next door. Straight, healthy, cleanable wisdom teeth can stay. A $99 exam with X-rays at Bleu Dentistry gives you a tooth-by-tooth answer and a written price the same day, and impacted teeth are removed right here in Oak Lawn.