The third molars, commonly called wisdom teeth, should be treated with great caution and attention, as on many occasions they have caused serious pathologies.
Nowadays, due to the change in our diet, which is becoming more and more ground, the development of the jaws is being affected.
In 98% of the population there are malpositions in these molars, which can cause multiple disorders throughout their eruption.
In my opinion, they should all be extracted, with rare exceptions, always in expert hands and after having made the appropriate radiological diagnosis; not only in 2D, but in many cases it is necessary in 3D, given the relationship of proximity with the vascular-nerve bundle of the lower dentition.
What complications can develop in wisdom teeth?
All surgeons have a saying: “every retained tooth is a potential cyst” and in my long professional experience, I have had multiple occasions to prove it, being often necessary to make a bone filling on the osteolysis area (empty space) caused by the cyst, in its attempt to erupt the molar.
On rare occasions the wisdom tooth creates a total eruption, but that only happens when the size of the jaw allows it, and in its program to come out, it causes various inflammatory conditions that cause great morbidity in the patient. These processes are clinically known as pericoronaritis and are treated with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment, although sometimes it is very rebellious to “cool down”.
Thus, it is recommended to extract the wisdom tooth to prevent all this type of pathology, even from the phase called “germ” that is, with only the crown formed, to prevent future complications.
It is an exciting surgery, that with a correct diagnosis and a good subsequent treatment, avoids many complications to the patient, always in the hands of a surgeon with enough experience to solve the possible complications.