Wisdom teeth erupt at 17–25 years old. Many are impacted due to insufficient space. Tilted wisdom teeth press and harm neighboring teeth and cause crowding. Few erupt fully upright. Hard to clean at the back of the mouth, they often trigger bad breath and swollen periodontal inflammation. Severe cases involve jaw swelling and difficulty opening the mouth.

  Wisdom teeth that trigger pain or complications are usually recommended for extraction. Asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth are also suggested for removal as a precaution. It is best to extract them at the early eruption stage: to avoid harm to adjacent teeth and enable faster recovery for young patients.
    Healthy.
Fully erupted.
Correctly positioned and properly biting with the opposing teeth.
Can be cleaned well daily.
 

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Partial tilted impaction
Partially out of alveolar bone, tilting toward adjacent tooth. Food & bacteria trap in gaps, hard to clean, causing caries and painful pericoronitis.
 

Complete tilted impaction
Fully buried in bone. Tilts against adjacent tooth and may damage it.
 

Horizontal complete impaction
Fully buried in bone. Grows horizontally at right angles to adjacent tooth, lying inside the jawbone.