It is not always necessary that wisdom teeth have to be extracted. For a lot of people, wisdom teeth come through properly and do not cause any issues. However, as wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come through, there’s often not enough or no space in your mouth for them to come out and grow. This means that they can get stuck in your gums or grow at an awkward angle. This is called an impacted wisdom tooth. Even impacted wisdom teeth do not always need to be removed if they are not causing any problems.

However, the way or the angle an impacted wisdom tooth is growing can make it easy for food and bacteria to get trapped around the gum or underneath a gum flap. This can lead to swollen and sore gums (pericoronitis), infection and tooth decay. If the impacted wisdom tooth starts causing pain or problems with your gums or other teeth, your dentist might recommend wisdom tooth extraction.

Having your wisdom teeth removed is one of the most common dental procedures done in the UK. It is usually done in the late teens or early to mid-twenties when the wisdom teeth are coming out.