Pros:
1. Bacteria in the mouth will convert sugars in to acid. The acid will attack the, particularly prone, wisdom tooth enamel and go on to cause a cavity. If the decay and cavity is not noticed, more damage will ensue leading to infection and could affect other teeth.
2. Wisdom teeth are difficult to clean, brushing and flossing is difficult and consequently food debris can remain causing foul smelling breath.
3. Wisdom teeth very often become impacted and grow sideways instead of out through the gum. This can be a source of great pain and discomfort and can lead to complications.
4. A wisdom tooth that is struggling to poke through the gum may cause irritation leading to infection.
5. Leaving wisdom teeth to become impacted and develop in unusual directions can cause major problems if left unattended until later in life. As we age the bone in the jaw around the tooth becomes more dense making extraction more difficult. Also as we age healing takes considerably longer.
Cons:
1. The simplicity of extraction can depend on the size, shape and wisdom teeth position. A simple extraction will usually only result in minor swelling, bruising and bleeding, however, some extractions can be more complex requiring specialized dental work that may cause more severe after affects. Your dentist will be trained in dealing with the treatment of the after affects of extraction.
2. After the extraction of a wisdom tooth you can suffer with what is known as a “dry socket”, this is due to the dislodging of the blood clot in the extraction site resulting in the exposing of bone. Your dentist will be trained in the treatment of this condition.
