Will leaving my child’s wisdom teeth cause their teeth to become crowded? If I have them removed, will it alleviate some existing crowding?

As mentioned in a previous post, this too is a highly controversial question. The general consensus by orthodontists today is that the presence or removal of wisdom teeth have no effect on the crowding of permanent teeth. This is what is taught in dental schools currently. So, of course I will tell you that I agree with this. However, I will add in a bit of the general public’s view on the matter as I have seen it in my practice.

I cannot tell you how many patients I have encountered who swear to me that their teeth have shifted since their wisdom teeth came in or were removed. Since I cannot remember everyone’s teeth exactly and don’t have before and after photos, I have no way to verify this. I am not in the practice of taking random dental photos for no apparent reason and so I have none to reference. I do believe, however, that most people are greatly in touch with their bodily happenings and as such wouldn’t make the statement up for no good reason. So, this will remain a question that I cannot answer with absolute certainty. One thing I have learned is, that science can change and so I can’t always be sure of what is absolute and what is not. So, maybe in the future, new studies will reveal that the presence of wisdom teeth do have an impact on crowding and straightening!

Tags: Absolute Certainty, Apparent Reason, Consensus, Controversial Question, Dental Photos, Dental Schools, Good Reason, Orthodontists, Permanent Teeth, Presence, Reference, Removal Of Wisdom Teeth, Science