What Happens If You Never Get Your Wisdom Teeth Pulled Out?

It’s common knowledge that wisdom teeth can be a major pain. They are a common source of frustration and need to be removed manually.

But what if you never manage to get them extracted? You wouldn’t believe the repercussions, yet they’re real.

In this article, we’ll discuss the risks associated with putting off wisdom tooth extraction and offer advice on how to minimise those risks. Hold tight!

So, What Exactly Are These So-Called “Wisdom Teeth?”

The third molars (at the back of your mouth) or wisdom teeth often erupt in your late teens or early 20s. This occurs naturally with the maturation of the mouth.

Some people have more than four wisdom teeth, some have less than four, and still others have no wisdom teeth at all.

While some wisdom teeth present no problems upon erupting, others may require extraction or other treatment.

Infected wisdom teeth typically cause the following symptoms.

Wisdom teeth infection symptoms include:

• red, inflamed gum near the wisdom tooth
• swelling
• pain
• pus coming from the gum
• swollen and sore lymph nodes underneath the jaw
• difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing
• fever 
• bad breath

Issues With The Wisdom Teeth

While some wisdom teeth emerge (erupt) into the mouth without incident, others can be problematic if they erupt at an angle and crowd the gum or neighbouring tooth. The term for this is “impact.”

A painful and possibly infected condition is wisdom tooth impaction. These teeth are notoriously tough to clean. The gap between the wisdom tooth and the adjacent tooth provides a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause cavities and gum disease.

Upper wisdom teeth that are too close together tend to tilt outward and rub on the cheek. There is a risk of developing mouth ulcers and difficulty chewing as a result of this.

If your dentist or oral surgeon suspects that any of the following conditions apply, they may advise you to have your wisdom teeth extracted:

• Because there is not enough space for all of your teeth, including your wisdom teeth, to erupt normally, you may want to consider having one or more extracted.
• Other teeth may have been damaged by the infection or discomfort you’re feeling right now.

They may also suggest monitoring the tooth in question in case it develops potential for future issues.

Overcrowding

Many people have abnormally small mouths and jaws, which prevents the third molars from erupting normally. Possible overcrowding if these teeth erupt.

Teeth may start to overlap or move position.

When wisdom teeth come in after orthodontic treatment is complete, they might displace the teeth and undo the corrections.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth become impacted when they are unable to break through the gums and emerge from the mouth naturally. It’s very uncommon for impacted wisdom teeth to cause severe discomfort and even abscesses and infections.

Cavities and lost tooth structure from healthy teeth are possible outcomes of impaction.

Sometimes, if the development of the wisdom teeth is not closely monitored, they will begin to move such that they are parallel to the jawline. They can also go retrograde, making it difficult to open and close your jaw.

Greater Potential for Decay

Even if all the wisdom teeth come in at the right time, it can be difficult to reach them all. In turn, this can promote the spread of bacteria and bring on health problems down the road.

Your wisdom teeth will need regular checkups until they are extracted.

As with any other tooth, wisdom teeth might develop cavities or other issues.

Those that break the gum line can typically be removed at a dental office in the same way a regular tooth would be. Impacted teeth are often treated by an oral surgeon.

Wisdom teeth that are beginning to rupture or are impacted can cause pain and swelling in the back of the jaw.

The level of expansion and the path it will take can be seen on a standard X-ray series.

When you come in for your next appointment, by all means bring up any worries you have.

Causes

As a result of inadequate space, wisdom teeth (the third molars) frequently get impacted.

The typical age of wisdom tooth eruption is between 17 and 25. The third molars often come in without any trouble and align with the other teeth in that area. However, many people have difficulty with third molar development because of how full their mouths are.

These crammed third molars get stuck in the gums (impacted).

It is possible for the crown of an impacted wisdom teeth to emerge through the gums only partially (partially impacted) or it may never emerge at all (fully impacted). If the tooth is affected in any way, whether partially or completely:

• Tilt towards the neighbouring tooth as they develop (second molar)
• Tilt backwards towards the roof of the mouth.
• Develop at an angle to the surrounding teeth, giving the appearance that the wisdom tooth is “lying down” inside the jaw.
• Unlike regular teeth, wisdom teeth don’t wiggle out of the jawbone and might instead grow straight up or down.

Complications

Multiple oral issues can arise from wisdom teeth that have become impacted:

• Broken or chipped teeth. When a wisdom tooth erupts next to a second molar, it can cause harm to the second molar or even lead to an infection. As a result of this pressure, additional teeth may shift position or become crooked.
• Cysts. There’s a pouch in your jawbone where your wisdom tooth can grow. Fluid can collect in the sac, causing a cyst that can irritate the jawbone, the teeth, and the nerves. Once in a while, a benign tumour may form. Due to this problem, it may be necessary to remove bone and/or tissue.
• Decay. It appears that wisdom teeth that are only partially impacted are at a higher risk of developing cavities. The reason for this is likely due to the fact that food and bacteria are more likely to become stuck between the gum and a partially erupted tooth, which is more common in wisdom teeth.
• Gum disease. Plaque buildup on the teeth and gums.
• Painful pericoronitis, an inflammation of the gums, is more likely to occur around partially erupted or impacted wisdom teeth because of the difficulties in keeping that area clean.

How Do You Go About Fixing A Wisdom Tooth That’s Impacted?

Your dentist may recommend removal of your impacted wisdom teeth if you experience any discomfort from their presence or if they create any dental issues.

Wisdom tooth extraction is typically an elective, same-day outpatient operation. As in, you can pack your bags and head home the same day.

Wisdom teeth extraction is a procedure performed by a dentist or oral surgeon.

Your doctor may use anaesthetics to put you to sleep during the operation.

• local anesthesia to numb your mouth
• sedation anesthesia to relax you and block pain
• general anesthesia to make you sleep and not feel anything during the procedure

When extracting a tooth, the surgeon will first make an incision in the gums and remove some bone. Following this, the incision will be stitched shut and stuffed with gauze.

From start to finish, most surgeries only take between 30 and 60 minutes.

It may be more challenging for your oral surgeon to remove your tooth if it is entirely impacted, or embedded, in your gums or jawbone.

Reasons to Visit the Dentist

If the discomfort from your wisdom teeth is significant, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. After examining your teeth, they will let you know if extraction is necessary.

Your dentist will likely take an X-ray of your mouth if they suspect you need your wisdom teeth out.

This helps them see your tooth alignment more clearly.

If you’re experiencing tooth pain, you shouldn’t put off going to the dentist until your regularly scheduled checkup.

It’s ideal to get those pesky wisdom teeth out before they cause any problems.

Since wisdom teeth typically don’t create discomfort until they’ve already caused significant damage, it’s important to discover out if you have any before they become a problem.

Wisdom teeth are easier to remove as a teen since their roots are still developing at this time.

Waiting until the roots are fully established later in life may make things more difficult.

Extraction Of The Third Molar

The surgeon will create a little incision in the gum to gain access to the tooth if it hasn’t broken through the gum yet. Sometimes, a little bit of the tooth’s surrounding bone needs to go, too.

If the tooth is too large to fit through the hole, the surgeon may cut it into smaller pieces.

If the tooth has already broken through the gum, then an incision is not necessary.

There will be some discomfort right before the tooth is extracted because your dentist or oral surgeon will rock the tooth back and forth to widen the socket.

The area around your wisdom teeth will be numbed so you won’t feel anything as they’re extracted. You should inform your dentist or oral surgeon if you begin to feel any discomfort throughout the operation.

The time required to extract a tooth varies. Some operations take only a few minutes, while others may take up to two hours or more.

Healing After Having A Wisdom Tooth Extracted

Within a week or two of surgery, most patients are able to resume their regular routines. A fully healed mouth can take up to six weeks.

You should stick to soft foods for the next week because you won’t be able to open your mouth widely.

Pain, bleeding, and edoema are all potential side effects of surgery. Pain pills and cold compresses, as well as other instructions, will be given to you by your doctor.

Dry sockets are extremely painful and might occur infrequently. Surgical site exposure occurs when the blood clot that is meant to develop in the socket following surgery doesn’t or can’t stay in place.

Impacted wisdom teeth have been linked in some research to increased postoperative discomfort and complications. Read up on the healing process after removing your wisdom teeth.

After Surgery

Dissolvable stitches are used to close any incisions in the gum. How long it takes for the stitches to dissolve is information your dentist can provide (usually 7 to 10 days).

Your dentist may advise you to bite firmly on gauze placed over the extraction site for up to an hour.

As a result, the blood clot forms in the gap left by the extracted tooth. Clots of blood are an important element of the healing process and should not be disturbed.

Antibiotics may be recommended if your infection has persisted for some time.

Avoid doing the following during the first 24 hours after having a wisdom tooth extracted:

• Using liquid to clean out your mouth
• Smoking and drinking
• consuming piping hot soups and teas
• intensive physical exercise

Coping and support

Although the prospect of having a tooth extracted can be daunting, putting off treatment can have disastrous consequences. As a result, discuss your worries with your dentist.

Concerns regarding one’s emotional well-being are extremely prevalent and should not be hidden. Make an appointment with your dentist and enquire about pain management options.

Music or films may be played in the waiting room to help patients relax before procedures.

You might be able to bring a loved one who can lend moral support. Techniques like deep breathing and guided imagery might also help you unwind. Discuss the possibility of drugs or sedative treatments with your dentist or oral surgeon if you suffer from acute anxiety.

Making Arrangements for Your Consultation

See your dentist right away if you have pain or other dental issues that could be caused by an impacted wisdom teeth.

Your dentist may ask you these questions:

• What symptoms are you experiencing?
• When did your symptoms begin?
• Does anything worsen symptoms, such as chewing toward the back of your mouth?
• Have you noticed any bleeding while brushing or flossing your teeth?
• What are your typical teeth-cleaning habits?

Overview

There are four molars, one on each side of the back of your mouth, called wisdom teeth, and they must all be extracted through a surgical process known as wisdom tooth extraction.

Teeth extraction is usually necessary if a wisdom tooth causes discomfort, infection, or other dental issues since it is unable to erupt normally due to lack of space.

Wisdom teeth extractions can be done by a dentist or an oral surgeon.

Even if impacted teeth aren’t presently causing any discomfort, your dentist or oral surgeon may nevertheless advise you to have them removed to avoid potential complications in the future.

The third molars (at the back of your mouth) or wisdom teeth often erupt in your late teens or early 20s. Some wisdom teeth present no problems upon erupting, others may require extraction or other treatment. A painful and possibly infected condition is wisdom tooth impaction – a gap between the wisdom tooth and adjacent tooth provides a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause cavities and gum disease. Wisdom teeth become impacted when they are unable to break through the gums and emerge from the mouth naturally. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause severe discomfort and even abscesses and infections.

Those that break the gum line can typically be removed at a dental office in the same way a regular tooth would be. The typical age of wisdom tooth eruption is between 17 and 25. Unlike regular teeth, wisdom teeth don’t wiggle out of the jawbone and might instead grow straight up or down. When a wisdom tooth erupts next to another molar, it can cause harm to the second molar or even lead to an infection.

Content Summary: 

• It’s common knowledge that wisdom teeth can be a major pain.
• They are a common source of frustration and need to be removed manually.
• But what if you never manage to get them extracted?
• You wouldn’t believe the repercussions, yet they’re real.
• In this article, we’ll discuss the risks associated with putting off wisdom tooth extraction and offer advice on how to minimise those risks.
• Hold tight!
• So, What Exactly Are These So-Called “Wisdom Teeth?”
• The third molars (at the back of your mouth) or wisdom teeth often erupt in your late teens or early 20s.
• This occurs naturally with the maturation of the mouth.
• Some people have more than four wisdom teeth, some have less than four, and still others have no wisdom teeth at all.
• While some wisdom teeth present no problems upon erupting, others may require extraction or other treatment.
• Infected wisdom teeth typically cause the following symptoms.
• The term for this is “impact.”
• A painful and possibly infected condition is wisdom tooth impaction.
• These teeth are notoriously tough to clean.
• The gap between the wisdom tooth and the adjacent tooth provides a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause cavities and gum disease.
• Upper wisdom teeth that are too close together tend to tilt outward and rub on the cheek.
• There is a risk of developing mouth ulcers and difficulty chewing as a result of this.
• If your dentist or oral surgeon suspects that any of the following conditions apply, they may advise you to have your wisdom teeth extracted: Because there is not enough space for all of your teeth, including your wisdom teeth, to erupt normally, you may want to consider having one or more extracted.
• Other teeth may have been damaged by the infection or discomfort you’re feeling right now.
• When wisdom teeth come in after orthodontic treatment is complete, they might displace the teeth and undo the corrections.
• Wisdom teeth become impacted when they are unable to break through the gums and emerge from the mouth naturally.
• It’s very uncommon for impacted wisdom teeth to cause severe discomfort and even abscesses and infections.
• Cavities and lost tooth structure from healthy teeth are possible outcomes of impaction.
• Sometimes, if the development of the wisdom teeth is not closely monitored, they will begin to move such that they are parallel to the jawline.
• They can also go retrograde, making it difficult to open and close your jaw.
• Even if all the wisdom teeth come in at the right time, it can be difficult to reach them all.
• In turn, this can promote the spread of bacteria and bring on health problems down the road.
• Your wisdom teeth will need regular checkups until they are extracted.
• As with any other tooth, wisdom teeth might develop cavities or other issues.
• Those that break the gum line can typically be removed at a dental office in the same way a regular tooth would be.
• Impacted teeth are often treated by an oral surgeon.
• Wisdom teeth that are beginning to rupture or are impacted can cause pain and swelling in the back of the jaw.
• The level of expansion and the path it will take can be seen on a standard X-ray series.
• When you come in for your next appointment, by all means bring up any worries you have.
• Causes
• As a result of inadequate space, wisdom teeth (the third molars) frequently get impacted.
• The typical age of wisdom tooth eruption is between 17 and 25.
• The third molars often come in without any trouble and align with the other teeth in that area.
• However, many people have difficulty with third molar development because of how full their mouths are.
• These crammed third molars get stuck in the gums (impacted).
• It is possible for the crown of an impacted wisdom teeth to emerge through the gums only partially (partially impacted) or it may never emerge at all (fully impacted).
• If the tooth is affected in any way, whether partially or completely: Tilt towards the neighbouring tooth as they develop (second molar) Tilt backwards towards the roof of the mouth.
• Develop at an angle to the surrounding teeth, giving the appearance that the wisdom tooth is “lying down” inside the jaw.
• Unlike regular teeth, wisdom teeth don’t wiggle out of the jawbone and might instead grow straight up or down.
• Complications Multiple oral issues can arise from wisdom teeth that have become impacted: Broken or chipped teeth.
• When a wisdom tooth erupts next to a second molar, it can cause harm to the second molar or even lead to an infection.
• As a result of this pressure, additional teeth may shift position or become crooked.
• There’s a pouch in your jawbone where your wisdom tooth can grow.
• Fluid can collect in the sac, causing a cyst that can irritate the jawbone, the teeth, and the nerves.
• Once in a while, a benign tumour may form.
• Due to this problem, it may be necessary to remove bone and/or tissue.
• It appears that wisdom teeth that are only partially impacted are at a higher risk of developing cavities.
• The reason for this is likely due to the fact that food and bacteria are more likely to become stuck between the gum and a partially erupted tooth, which is more common in wisdom teeth.
• Plaque buildup on the teeth and gums.
• Painful pericoronitis, an inflammation of the gums, is more likely to occur around partially erupted or impacted wisdom teeth because of the difficulties in keeping that area clean.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wisdom Teeth

What happens if you never pull out your wisdom teeth?

If they can’t emerge normally, wisdom teeth become trapped (impacted) within your jaw. Sometimes this can result in infection or cause a cyst that can damage other teeth roots or bone support.

What happens if you wait too long to get wisdom teeth out?

If the wisdom tooth isn’t extracted, this sac can become filled with fluid and form a cyst. Jaw cysts can be very painful. They can also cause damage to the jaw bone, teeth, and nearby nerves. Eventually, the bone around the cyst can be destroyed.

Can you go your whole life without wisdom teeth?

Not having any wisdom teeth might come as a surprise, and you might think there’s something wrong with your oral health. But the reality is, it’s perfectly okay not to have these molars.

Can you live with impacted wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth don’t usually need to be removed if they’re impacted but aren’t causing any problems. This is because there’s no proven benefit to doing this, and it carries the risk of complications.

How long does wisdom teeth pain last if not removed?

If you are developing an infection or dry socket, the pain may last as long as two weeks without professional treatment. Thankfully, most people only need about a week to recover before resuming normal work or school activities after oral surgery. Some may need a little closer to two weeks.