For quite some time, there has been a popular belief that wisdom teeth “push” the teeth in front of them as they come into the mouth, causing the front teeth to crowd. Consequently, some general dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons recommend the extraction of wisdom teeth as a preventative measure to safeguard against the recurrence of crowding after orthodontic treatment. There is now a large and well-documented body of research evidence disproving the theory that wisdom teeth exert enough pressure to affect the movement of the front teeth. Current well-validated studies tracking patients for over 25 years have determined that teeth will drift forward throughout life naturally, regardless of whether or not orthodontic treatment has been done or if wisdom teeth are present. Two phenomena seem to occur, with the teeth all moving slightly forward over time (called “mesial drift”), and the distance between the lower canine teeth constricting or getting narrower over the years. This seems to happen even in people who are missing all their back teeth! Read More