There are many reasons why someone would need to have their wisdom teeth removed. But is gum disease or periodontitis one of them?
Yes. Periodontal infections can easily pass from one tooth to the next. Since wisdom teeth are especially challenging to clean due to their location, infected wisdom teeth pose a risk to the otherwise healthy teeth in your mouth.
It’s important to know all the facts before deciding whether to treat gum disease around wisdom teeth vs. removing them altogether. It is also vital to understand the consequences of not having wisdom teeth removed and how the choice can affect a person’s overall oral health.
Although it’s possible to treat active periodontal infections around any tooth, the standard of care is to remove infected wisdom teeth simply because of the risk and frequency of recurring infections.
One of the best ways to prevent wisdom teeth from contributing to periodontal infections is to recognize and address early warning signs. Such as:
• Sore gums
• Partially erupted wisdom teeth
• Redness or swelling
• A bad taste in your mouth
• Food gets lodged around wisdom teeth
Ultimately your dentist will need to take a full-mouth scan or X-ray to determine the placement and potential risk factors of your or your teen’s wisdom teeth.
One of the main reasons for wisdom tooth removal is that they often don't align properly with other teeth, which can lead to pain and impaction, among other problems. Even with good oral hygiene, erupted or partially erupted wisdom teeth tend to harbor infections like gum disease and tooth decay because of their positioning. Removing them is often a proactive way of maintaining the health of surrounding teeth. And if they have active periodontitis, wisdom tooth removal is the recognized standard of care among dentists throughout the country.