Wisdom Teeth and Periodontal Disease

Retention of visible third molars makes people more susceptible to periodontal disease around the second molar in middle age and later, according to research published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Adults aged 52–74 who had had their “wisdom teeth” removed were one-and-a-half times less likely to have periodontal disease at that site.

The study subjects were 6,793 people from Maryland, North Carolina, and Minnesota who were already participating in a dental substudy of an artherosclerosis risk investigation. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill probed subjects’ third molars (if present) and/or adjacent second molars. A probing depth greater than 5 mm and attachment loss of 2 mm or more on the distal of the second molar or around the third molar was considered disease. Gingival bleeding on the adjacent second molar was noted as well.

Probing depths of 5 mm and greater were 1.5 times more frequent in those who had retained their third molars. Gingival bleeding was 1.3 times more frequent in that group. The researchers encourage further investigations to support the negative effects of retaining third molars.