Do all wisdom teeth need extraction?

Case specific: At my opinion , not all wisdom teeth need to be extracted, probably majority needs to be , with an exeption of perfectly erupted , without any perio problems, or without need to be prosthetically restored and / or endodontically treated wisdom teeth.

Most do: Not all wisdom teeth do, but most need to be removed. Your dentist can tell you based on a panoramic x-ray. If they are unable to erupt fully into the mouth, they can develop cysts/tumors (just had to send someone to a surgeon this week for a large cyst to be removed from an impacted wisdom tooth).

Wisdom Teeth: There are various opinions to this question. Personally, i believe that any time there is pain, infection, lack of space, partial eruption or potential for any of the above in the future, extraction is recommended. Best to do it when you are young and on your parent's dental insurance. As we get older it can be disruptive to take time off our lives to get them out.

No: If a wisdom tooth has perfectly erupted into the dental arch, has no dental decay, and are cleaned well routinely they may not be an indication for removal.

Not always: After assessing the risk of the wisdom tooth causing infection or any other ill effect, it is common to decide not to remove them. In most cases this risk is too high so we plan on removing them at a younger age when your body will heal much faster and with less chances for complications than if we waited for the damage to be done. Besides once there is pain there is typically other issues that need to be addressed also.

No: If they erupt normally and there is enough room for them, it is perfectly normal to keep them.

Depend on lndividual: Some people have all 4 third molars while some have none. The determining factors are is there enough room in a person's jaw, the angle of the 3rd molar as it relates to the adjacent teeth, the type of gum tissue surrounding the tooth, can the tooth be readily cleaned, etc... For most people, there simply isn't enough room in their jaws and it best be removed to prevent infection and crowding.

Most do.: The us military did a 5 year study on wisdom teeth extractions, and why.Most needed to be extracted, due to crooked alignment, decay, poor eruption, cysts , not enough space. But if your jaw is long enough, they are decay free, with good occlusion, and great gums around them, sure keep them. My wife still has hers, and they meet all the requirements.

NO: No. But you need expert advice. See the wisdom tooth expert - board certified oral & maxillofacial surgeon for exam/recommendations.