On another board I was asked if wisdom teeth should be extracted prior to starting Invisalign.  It is a good question in that it also brings up wisdom tooth retention in general.

If the wisdom teeth are not erupted and don’t appear to be coming in ever, you might consider them a “sleeping dog” and is best to just leave them alone.  They could be surgically removed at a later date and not really affect the Invisalign case results.

If the wisdom teeth are partly erupted or fully erupted, I recommend removing them, even if Invisalign is not planned.  Periodontally, or gum health wise, these are problems in the making and would be best to be removed.

Invisalign works by having very accurate impressions of the teeth.  The presence of the wisdom teeth can inhibit taking good impressions or fabricating aligners that hold the teeth as securely as possible.

“When in doubt, take them out…!”