In my experience it is better for patients of all ages to have wisdom (3rd molar) teeth removed. For young adults these teeth can harm the molars in front of them as they begin to erupt, especially if they erupt at an angle. For my adult patients, I generally see that wisdom teeth are hard to clean, and again can cause problems for the molars in front of them. Since they are hard to clean they are more susceptible to cavities. In addition to this, some clinicians report that impacted wisdom teeth are associated with cysts and tumors. In general, I recommend wisdom tooth removal. There are a small number of patients who are able to keep 3rd molars clean, but in my experience this is a minority. If you have a questions about your wisdom teeth ask your dentist.