Professionals trying to prevent emergency dentistry treatment in the future may carry out the extraction of wisdom teeth – molars that usually appear when people are between 17 and 25 years old – in younger patients, before a problem has the chance to occur.
That is if research from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), academics and other experts is anything to go by.
A study has shown that removing the wisdom teeth even when no symptoms are present can prevent other conditions such as cardiovascular disease and preterm birth.
"Extraction is much easier in young adults and research consistently shows that it is a simple way of improving both dental and overall health," explained Dr Louis K Rafetto, chair of the AAMOS Task Force on Third Molar Data.
Indeed, the results showed that 80 per cent of those with no wisdom teeth problems developed the need for emergency dentistry in the future.
