Wisdom teeth are often recommended for extraction for preventative reasons.
Wisdom teeth make the tooth in front harder to keep clean. At the area marked (1), an earlier extraction of the wisdom tooth would make the adjacent tooth easier to clean, preventing bone loss.
Wisdom teeth are often difficult to clean as well. At (2), this wisdom tooth developed a large cavity and needs to be extracted anyway. This can often mean a more difficult, more invasive, and more expensive extraction. This could have been prevented with an earlier extraction of the wisdom tooth.
Impacted wisdom teeth can result in pain, inflammation, and infection. They also often cause cavities and bone loss on the adjacent tooth. At (3), this wisdom tooth caused a large cavity and bone loss. The adjacent tooth now needs a deep cleaning, root canal, build-up, and crown just for a chance at success. This could have been prevented with an earlier extraction of the wisdom tooth.
At (4), this wisdom tooth caused a large cavity and bone loss. The adjacent tooth needs to be extracted. This could have been prevented with an earlier extraction of the wisdom tooth.