The debate on when to pull wisdom teeth continues to rage on amongst dental professionals.  While some dentists believe it is best to leave wisdom teeth alone until they become a problem, most now agree that removing wisdom teeth early before they cause trouble is the best way to prevent potential problems.  Wisdom teeth are those ones all the way in the back of your mouth that seem to be more trouble than good.

A very small percentage of people have wisdom teeth that grow in correctly.  For the rest of us, wisdom teeth either lie just below the gum line, partially erupt through the gums, or start pushing out causing the other teeth to crowd.  Wisdom teeth can cause a variety of different problems if not removed.  They can push against the neighboring teeth causing them to overcrowd, become crooked, or even break.  When wisdom teeth become impacted they can break through the gums and become infected as bacteria seeps in.  Cysts can also develop when the sac that forms around the tooth fills with fluid, causing bone destruction.

It is because of these potential problems that most dentists recommend removing the wisdom teeth before these painful problems develop.