Wisdom teeth — third molars — are the last teeth to emerge, usually in the late teens or early twenties. Not every wisdom tooth needs to come out; the decision depends on space, position, and whether the tooth is causing or likely to cause problems. When extraction is needed, it can be a simple extraction (for a fully erupted tooth) or a surgical extraction (for a tooth that’s impacted or hasn’t fully emerged) — both handled at Smile Align.
If your wisdom teeth aren’t currently causing problems, that doesn’t necessarily mean they never will — an impacted tooth can shift or develop issues over time even without symptoms, which is why periodic checking matters even for patients who feel fine. Smile Align sees wisdom tooth patients from Naxalbari, Panitanki, Khoribari, Batasi, and Hathighisa, and every extraction decision is based on an actual X-ray assessment, not a blanket recommendation.
Simple vs surgical extraction
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Simple extraction
For a wisdom tooth that has fully emerged and is accessible. Performed under local anaesthesia with a straightforward removal — recovery is generally quick.
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Surgical extraction
For a wisdom tooth that's impacted (stuck under the gum or against another tooth) or only partially erupted. Involves a small incision to access and remove the tooth, sometimes in sections — still done comfortably under local anaesthesia.
When a wisdom tooth is impacted, growing at an angle that pushes on neighboring teeth, only partially erupted in a way that traps food and bacteria, or causing recurring pain, swelling, or infection. An X-ray showing the tooth's exact position is what actually determines whether extraction — and which type — is needed.
Impacted wisdom teeth are extremely common — a large global meta-analysis pooling data from 98 studies and over 183,000 people found impaction is the norm rather than the exception, with Asia showing the highest rates worldwide.
Wisdom tooth (third molar) impaction prevalence
A systematic review pooling 98 studies worldwide found that impacted third molars affect roughly 37 out of every 100 people, with Asia showing the highest regional rates globally at around 43%. This is part of why wisdom tooth evaluation is a routine part of dental care from the late teens onward — impaction is common enough that it's worth checking for proactively, even before symptoms appear, rather than waiting for pain or swelling to prompt an X-ray.