Wisdom teeth often need to be removed because they are impacted. This means they can’t emerge all the way from the gums. If a tooth becomes impacted, it often requires an oral surgeon to remove it, although some impacted teeth can be removed in the dentist’s office.

Because wisdom teeth are large and the last molars to arrive, often there isn’t enough room for them to emerge properly. In these cases, they need to be extracted. If a wisdom tooth becomes infected—a common side effect to impaction—you might need to have the infection treated before the tooth can be removed.