Vu Orthodontics - Orthodontist - Braces  & Invisalign

Wisdom Tooth

It may be cliche but appropriate here: Wisdom tooth - to remove or not to remove?  That is the question.

The following link offers a good discussion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_tooth

(although not everything written in Wikipedia is 100% accurate).  The following is its recommendation:

"In the U.K., the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which appraises the cost-effectiveness of treatments for the National Health Service, has argued that there is no evidence that removing disease-free impacted wisdom teeth is beneficial, and recommends against removal to avoid the various risks and discomforts of the procedure.^[16]

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons recommends that third molars be removed in patients who, in the opinion of their family dentists, suffer from periodontal infections where the probing depth exceeds 3 mm. It argues that it is advisable to have the third molars of such patients removed in young adulthood to avoid the complications that may occur when third molars have grown to maturity. In these cases, there is a greater likelihood of nerve damage and other potential concerns.^[14]

The American Public Health Association recommends against prophylactic removal of asymptomatic, non-pathological wisdom teeth, including wisdom teeth that are impacted,^[17] on the basis that the removal of third molars (wisdom teeth), like the removal of any teeth, should be based on evidence of diagnosed pathology or demonstrable need, rather than anticipated future pathology. The APHA's position is based on scientific research that documents the risks of injury to the nerves of the jaw that can cause permanent numbness of the lip and tongue, damage to the temporomandibular (jaw) joint and adjacent teeth."