I always get the question why wisdom teeth should be removed. Let's talk about why. Wisdom teeth if they are visible (erupted in your mouth) are the most difficult teeth to clean. As such, they hold the most bacteria that contribute to gum disease and cavities. Sometimes they are not fully visible and covered by a flap of gum tissue; in this situation, the risk for infection is high and can lead to a very painful condition called pericoronitis which is inflamation and infection of the gum tissue around it. Typically for an adult, the most likely recommendation for removal of wisdom teeth would be due to active cavities on them, pericoronitis or contribution of bacteria to progressive and irreversible bone loss called periodontitis.
Now what about wisdom teeth that you can't see and are hidden below the gumline? Well for those teeth, they maybe hidden now, but may erupt down the line. They also often times will lean against your last visible molar in the mouth -- in those situations, there is risk of eventual root decay on that molar one day and risk of loosing it also. Also hidden wisdom teeth do run a slight risk of cyst formation and of those cysts, there is a small chance of malignant transformation (cancer).
When should I remove my wisdom teeth? Ideally, a good time to remove wisdom teeth would be somewhere in late high school years or college simply b/c you are younger, recover and heal faster, have less dense bone and have plenty of time off and don't have to worry about missing out on work!
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