Should wisdom teeth only be extracted from the lower jaw, not the upper jaw?
It is best to extract both upper and lower wisdom teeth. If only the lower wisdom tooth is extracted while leaving the upper one, it can cause the upper wisdom tooth to elongate, which will seriously affect the occlusion and chewing function. Wisdom teeth can pose significant harm, easily causing inflammation of the surrounding soft tissue, causing swallowing pain, and even leading to fever in severe cases. Therefore, when extracting wisdom teeth, it is recommended to extract both the upper and lower wisdom teeth accordingly.
When extracting wisdom teeth, it is best to extract the maxillary wisdom tooth first and then try to extract the mandibular wisdom tooth as well. Otherwise, after the maxillary wisdom tooth is extracted, the mandibular wisdom tooth will elongate, leading to irregular occlusion. The decision to extract wisdom teeth can also be based on the specific condition of the tooth. If the wisdom tooth frequently develops inflammation or has decay, it should be extracted promptly.
The harms of wisdom teeth mainly include the following aspects:
1. Wisdom teeth can cause repeated inflammation of the surrounding soft tissue. If the condition is severe, it can lead to facial swelling, limited mouth opening, swallowing pain, even fever, and possible corresponding space infection. Long-term repeated inflammation may cause marginal osteomyelitis.
2. Due to the inability of wisdom teeth to erupt fully, there is a gap between them and the adjacent teeth, which can cause food impaction and lead to lesions in the adjacent teeth, such as decay. It can also cause the adjacent teeth to become loose by affecting their root absorption.
3. Wisdom teeth themselves may develop cysts.
