You may have wondered why we have to have wisdom teeth removed in the first place. The main reason has to do with a lack of space for these teeth. By the time wisdom teeth grow in, most adults already have a full complement of teeth and there isn’t much room left in the dental arch to allow for 4 more large teeth to grow into a healthy position and alignment.

Wisdom teeth put pressure on the tooth and jaw barriers causing damage to these otherwise healthy structures. Their awkward position results in areas that you cannot reach with your toothbrush, floss, or Waterpik. These unreachable areas become havens for toxic bacteria to breed, which can turn into a chronic infections causing tooth decay and gum disease. 

These chronic infections put you at higher risk for systemic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and more. If there is not enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to be completely healthy then they should be removed.