Third molars, also known as wisdom teeth, are the last teeth to emerge in the mouth, usually between the ages of 17 and 25.
Quite often, they do not find enough space to erupt into the oral cavity, so they remain impacted or partially impacted. As a result, they may press against the front teeth or damage the adjacent ones.

Many times, we feel pain in the area where wisdom teeth erupt, because it is difficult to clean properly. This leads to the growth of bacteria and infections (pericoronitis), which manifest as pain, swelling, bad breath, and redness.

When should a wisdom tooth be extracted?

• When they have cavities or periodontitis
• They often present with pericoronitis
• They cause damage to adjacent teeth depending on their position
• Wisdom teeth that have fully erupted into the mouth and function properly do not need to be removed. On the other hand, wisdom teeth that are either impacted or partially erupted and do not participate in chewing are better removed.

How many wisdom teeth can be extracted in one session

Although each wisdom tooth can be removed individually, it is much better for the patient if extractions are done in pairs (one side at a time), and this is because:

It is an absolutely safe and quick procedure. The surgical sessions are reduced from 4 to 2. The same medication (prophylactic antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, painkillers) is administered only twice instead of four times.

The patient’s daily professional, school, or social obligations are disrupted only 2 times instead of 4.

Should wisdom teeth be removed in children and adolescents during orthodontic treatment?

Impacted wisdom teeth appear to be one of the factors that create pressure on the front teeth, resulting in the loss of the results of orthodontic treatment. For this reason, most orthodontists recommend the extraction of impacted wisdom teeth in children and adolescents after the completion of orthodontic treatment, and in some cases, even at the beginning of it.