The wisdom in teens having their wisdom teeth removed before college

Posted on August 4, 2021 | Orthodontics

Do you have a teen in their final couple of years of high school? You may have already been advised to set up a time for his or her wisdom teeth to be removed. Maybe you’re thinking that the age for this seems to be getting younger! Wisdom teeth typically weren’t even a concern until college back in your day. Or, maybe you’re thinking, “if my child isn’t in pain because of his wisdom teeth, then it’s not really a big deal.”

It’s better to act now

As a parent, we never want our kids to experience pain, especially unnecessary pain. Not extracting wisdom teeth before the age of 25 could result in some major complications: pain, swelling, headaches, earaches, jaw pain, sinus pain, swollen glands, and damage to other teeth.

If wisdom teeth are given time to grow, they can cause overcrowding and make it nearly impossible to floss between the surrounding teeth. Why is that an issue? It’s an issue because it can lead to food getting trapped between teeth and potentially lead to cavities and periodontal disease. 

Beyond just the pain that it could cause, the reason to have your teenager’s wisdom teeth removed before college is to avoid having to take time out of school – for the extraction and the recovery.

But, if they don’t hurt, do they need to be removed?

Just as we said above, leaving the wisdom teeth to grow can be what causes issues down the road. Not experiencing pain now isn’t an indicator that there won’t be pain or complications in the future.

Often, being proactive with wisdom teeth is the best course of action, as surgical complications become more likely as a person gets older. As your child gets older, the post-surgery risks increase, including bleeding, severe numbness, loss of movement in the jaw, or even fractured teeth. When the wisdom teeth are removed as the patient is younger, before the roots are fully formed, he or she will be in a better position to recover easily from oral surgery. Not every person will need their wisdom teeth out though! Much of it depends on the shape and size of a person’s jaw, as well as the position of the wisdom teeth.

As with everything, our office will offer our specific advice and suggestions on the next steps for your child. Set up an appointment for your teen today.