What are the advantages and disadvantages of having symptom-free impacted wisdom teeth removed?
The removal of wisdom teeth is one of the most common dental operations. But it is not completely harmless, especially with the lower wisdom teeth. Nerves and blood vessels can get damaged during this procedure. This can cause bleeding and temporary or permanent nerve damage that can cause numbness or even paralysis around the tooth, including the tongue or even that part of the face. The risks are greater when the tooth is deeper in the gum. The operation can also cause infections in the teeth or bone. For most people, the area where the teeth were removed will be swollen after the operation and it will be hard to open the mouth fully. Pain is common. The operation will be done under a local or sometimes general anaesthetic. General anaesthetic itself can cause a variety of complications. The overall risk of the procedure probably increases with age, and this is often an argument made for removing them when people are young.
