Is it necessary to remove a wisdom tooth even if it’s growing straight?

Hi there,

In general, if the wisdom tooth is growing out properly as there is sufficient space in the jaw to accomodate it, and it is biting on the opposing wisdom tooth which has also grown out well, there is no need to remove it. Many people have impacted lower wisdom teeth (wisdom teeth that don't have enough space to erupt or emerge) and the upper wisdom teeth grow out straight. In these situations, the upper wisdom teeth then become non-functional - they are not biting on any teeth and pose no benefit to keep them.

Wisdom teeth are the last tooth in the jaws, they are difficult to clean and maintain. If you experience difficulty keeping your wisdom teeth clean such that they are decayed and require fillings, you may want to consider removal, especially if all your other teeth are present and healthy.

Hope this helps, all the best.

Warm regards,

Dr Geraldine Lee

Orthodontist, The Orthodontic Clinic

Yes, but not all the time.

If you remove the lower wisdom tooth (maybe due to impact or decay), super eruption will occur. Naturally, teeth will move when there is space in the mouth as they do not like space. When there is nothing on the bottom after the extraction, the top teeth will grow downwards. This is a natural thing for teeth to do.

Did you know that the tongue gets bigger as you grow older? When you have fewer teeth, the tongue will grow further into the spaces. Everything in your mouth does not like space and they will move to fill space in.

When the bottom teeth are taken out, the top teeth will grow till it touches the gum so that it can use the bone and gum to bite against. When you do that, it will hurt your gum with every bite you take. To fix that, you might also be encouraged to remove the top teeth as well. Super eruption can occur at a different speeds as it varies from person to person.