The best way to know if a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary would be to visit a dentist/oral surgeon for a thorough examination of your wisdom teeth.
If your wisdom tooth is in a proper position like other regular teeth, it may be retained. Nonetheless, a wisdom tooth's status may change over time, for example the formation of cysts/tumours or decay. Therefore, any wisdom tooth that is not removed should be re-evaluated during your six monthly visits to the dentist.
However, if your wisdom tooth fails to fully erupt or is not growing in a proper position, it becomes hard to clean and a potential food (bacteria) trap. In such cases, to reduce the risk of tooth decay or infections on the wisdom tooth and adjacent tooth, it is advisable to remove such wisdom tooth.
Best regards,
Dr Ho Kok Sen
