Wisdom teeth are the lower and upper third molars, located at the very back of your mouth. These are the final set of molars that most individuals get in their late teens or early twenties (age 17-25). They are perfectly fine to be left alone if they are aligned properly without any pain or gum inflammation. Although they are classified as molars, these teeth usually serve no function during mastication. In most cases, they are misaligned and cause irreversible damage to the adjacent teeth.
The following are the symptoms you’re likely to experience if you have wisdom teeth coming in:
- There is likely to be redness, tenderness, pain or swelling around the site of growth. Erupting through the surface of gums, this allows bacteria to gain entry through the open tissue, which leads to infections.
- A gradually increasing pain due to teeth growing sideways or in a misaligned manner
The good news, not all wisdom teeth need to be taken out if…
- The eruption aligns with the proper occlusion.
- Their growth does not pose any potential damage to the adjacent tooth
- They do not cause any gum biting, especially at the back of the wisdom teeth.
- Their position allows for daily cleaning through brushing or other oral hygiene practices
What is an impacted wisdom tooth?
A wisdom tooth is considered impacted if it gets stuck under the gum or doesn’t have the required space to break through the gum. An impacted wisdom tooth is more susceptible to infections and tooth decay, as cleaning would be a bit challenging. Moreover, in case of an infection, this tooth can lead to pain, swelling, bleeding gums, bad breath, jaw stiffness, and difficulty in opening your mouth.
When your jaw does not have enough space to accommodate the growth of the wisdom teeth, the teeth get impacted. An impacted wisdom tooth eventually has to be extracted.
Should I get them as early as possible?
Many dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth well before they fully emerge. However, research is showing that it’s better to remove wisdom teeth at late-teen years or around the age of 18. This allows the jawbone to be fully developed. Pre-mature extraction can lead to a smaller jawline.
When do wisdom teeth extractions become necessary?
In certain scenarios, with the wisdom tooth growing in a misaligned manner, it can lead to unfavorable or painful symptoms. The following are the conditions in which a wisdom tooth extraction becomes critical:
- consistent pain
- damage occurring to adjacent teeth
- leading to extensive tooth decay
- gum disease
- repetitive infection of soft tissue behind the lower last tooth
- becoming impacted and causing cysts or tumors to develop
We recommend intervening in the problematic area or any pain caused by the wisdom teeth before the pain threshold reaches its maximum limit. It is essential to understand how wisdom teeth extractions need to be addressed when there is a risk of infections and bacteria begin to breed, causing excruciating pain. By visiting our clinic, we can help!
