It does not hurt. Do I really have to have it extracted?

Even without pain, we recommend extracting a wisdom tooth that is likely to cause problems, as a preventive measure. This applies in particular to 1) an impacted wisdom tooth lying sideways and pushing the molar in front of it, 2) one that a toothbrush cannot reach and that is causing decay in the neighboring tooth, and 3) one where the surrounding gum repeatedly swells and settles. Conversely, a wisdom tooth that came in straight, functions in chewing, and can be kept clean may be monitored rather than removed. We will advise whether extraction is needed after checking the position on an X-ray.