3rd Molar Watch: Is it WISE to Keep Wisdom Teeth?
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons has Research Study Links Wisdom Teeth to Health Problems in Young Adults.
Retained wisdom teeth (third molars), even those that are asymptomatic and display no current sign of disease, pose an increased risk for chronic oral infectious disease, periodontitis and tooth decay, and should be considered for removal in young adulthood, according to data released today from a series of institutional review board approved longitudinal clinical trials conducted under the auspices of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation.
There is no cause and effect proven in this study but heightens the awareness of dentists and patients alike for 3rd molar eruption and retention.
The Washington Post has Adults With Wisdom Teeth Often Develop Gum Disease, Studies Show That Keeping Extra Molars Adds Health Risks.
Young adults who keep their wisdom teeth often quickly develop gum disease, which appears to increase the risk of pregnancy complications and possibly other health problems, according to the first large studies to carefully evaluate the risks posed by wisdom teeth.
The research, which is being released today, should prompt more dentists and patients to closely monitor the extra molars — and consider removing them — even if they are not impacted or causing obvious problems, experts said.
Flap has always had an aggressive treatment policy with regards to 3rd molars – better to get them out at a young age than wait for problems to arise – which they often do.
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3 Comments
caltechgirl
I’d rather keep them than go through the pain of the dentist even getting back there to get them. I have a LONG jaw and a small mouth, and the brackets on my braces were hell, I can’t imagine what getting my wisdom teeth out would be like. thank god they came in straight….
Teeth Maestro
Flaps – I question your logic on extraction of 3rd molars – you would rather have them extracted early on in life rather then suffer from problems later on, strange.
I present a logical approach ONLY for the sake of argument – Lets advise extraction of all teeth than have to worry about maintaining them as they will undoubtedly casue a problems like perio, caries etc and will be a cause for pregnancy gingivitis. Hey then the Surgeon might say while the patient is under GA lets also take out the Appendex? (its a gross analogy but I feel preemptive extraction is more like making money NOW than a guarded approach of practicing minimal invasive dentistry.)
I practice a conservative approach as you may have realised, and prefer to educate my patients to manage the oral hygeine, and extract ONLY the offending tooth when a problem does arise. How many of my cases turn into a CA becasue I choose not to extract 3rd Molars very rare….
Flap
In my 27 years plus of practicing dentistry I have seen very few patients who:
1. Have fully erupted and in occlusion 3rd molars
2. With 1 above can maintain them in a healthy state both caries free and periodontally sound.
I believe in informing the patient of what my clinical experience has been and what the current research says.
The patient will ultimately make the decision and consultation with their dentist and oral surgeon is always the best policy.
But, Flap has seen too many third molars go cystic, be a site for caries adjacent to the distal of the second molar or develop pericoronitis for me to recommend a wait and see approach.
Having a surgical extraction at 22 is hell of a lot easier on the patient than at 55.
Flap