Can Older Adults Have Their Wisdom Teeth Removed?

By the time wisdom teeth erupt, there often isn't enough available space in the jaw to accommodate them. For many younger people in their late teens or early twenties, this can lead to early complications. But wisdom teeth can also become a problem later in life too. Fortunately, age shouldn't stop you from having your wisdom teeth removed later in life.

No matter how old you are, you can have your wisdom teeth removed, but the removal process will be somewhat different.

1. Good reasons to remove wisdom teeth at an older age

In many patients, wisdom teeth don't become a problem until later in life when symptoms start to emerge. When your wisdom teeth start to cause complications that affect your oral health, removal is often the best solution. Removal might be the best course of action if you are experiencing:

• Jaw pain
• Bad breath
• Foul taste in the mouth
• Discomfort when opening your mouth
• Swelling and bleeding
• Sinus issues (usually with upper wisdom teeth)

All of these symptoms indicate that your wisdom teeth are becoming a problem. Bacteria that have invaded the spaces around the wisdom teeth are the main cause of these issues. If you are experiencing these symptoms, book an appointment with your dentist. They can then decide if removal is a viable option for you.

2. Removing wisdom teeth at an older age is more difficult

The best time to remove wisdom teeth is shortly after they have erupted. This is usually in a person's late teens or early twenties. At this time, the bone around wisdom teeth is still thin. And the roots of the wisdom teeth have yet to fully grow. Because of this, dentists prefer to remove wisdom teeth as early as possible should complications arise.

In older people over fifty, the bone density around wisdom teeth has thickened, and the roots have grown longer. This means that the surgery to remove wisdom teeth in older people is more complicated. To remove wisdom teeth in older people, oral surgeons need to remove more bone.

Regarding the longer roots of older wisdom teeth, oral surgeons also have to take care not to damage the nerve in the jawbone as they remove the teeth. As a person ages, the roots of their wisdom teeth grow longer. This means special care must be taken to remove the teeth without harming the nerve.

You can schedule wisdom teeth removal as an older adult. But the removal process is more complicated. Because of that, be prepared to take at least a week to recover from the surgical procedure.