Surgical extraction of 3rd molars/wisdom tooth

Impacted wisdom teeth (or impacted third molars) are wisdom teeth which do not fully erupt into the mouth because of blockage from other teeth (impaction). If the wisdom teeth do not have an open connection to the mouth, pain can develop with the onset of inflammation or infection or damage to the adjacent teeth.

Over time, the roots of your wisdom teeth will become fully developed and your jawbone denser. The older you get, the more difficult the surgery is. There's a nerve in the jawbone below the roots of the teeth, and the main risk is injury to that nerve, which can cause numbness in the lower lip.

When wisdom teeth cause problems, or X-rays show they might down the line, they need to come out. Other good reasons to take them out include: Damage to other teeth: That extra set of molars can push your other teeth around, causing mouth pain and bite problems.