Dealing With Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth are common—about 90% of people will have at least one impacted wisdom tooth during their lifetime. Impacted wisdom teeth develop symptoms or become painful; that’s when you know it may be time for dental extraction services. Here’s how to recognize an impacted wisdom tooth and how dental treatment can help.
What Are Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth that grow in an adult mouth. Found at the back of the mouth, sometimes called “third molars.” They usually emerge when you’re between 17 and 25 years old.
An impacted wisdom tooth does not develop normally. It may become trapped in your jawbone or gums or grow at the wrong angle. A soft tissue impaction or partially impacted wisdom tooth has a partially visible crown but hasn’t broken through the gums. The gums completely hide a hard tissue impaction or fully impacted wisdom tooth. Wisdom teeth may become impacted when your jaw doesn’t have enough space for your new teeth.
Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Some impacted wisdom teeth don’t cause any symptoms. They are more challenging to clean than other teeth since they’re less visible, making them more vulnerable to gum disease.
Other times, impacted wisdom teeth can cause noticeable symptoms, which may include:
- Swollen, red, tender, or bleeding gums
- Pain and swelling in the jaw
- Headaches
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Difficulty opening your mouth fully
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s essential to consult a dentist.
What Problems Can Impacted Wisdom Teeth Cause?
Besides uncomfortable and painful symptoms, impacted wisdom teeth can seriously affect your oral health.
- If the impacted tooth pushes against other teeth, it can damage or crowd other teeth.
- Partially impacted wisdom teeth have a high risk of developing cavities, infections, gum disease, and tooth decay.
- Impacted wisdom teeth can cause fluid to build up in the jawbone, forming cysts that can damage nerves.
- Painful gum conditions can affect the entire mouth.
How Dentists Treat Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth don’t go away on their own. A dentist can diagnose and treat impacted wisdom teeth and any other teeth that have been affected.A dentist will ask you about any symptoms, and it’s essential to let them know if any activities (like chewing at the back of your mouth) have caused your symptoms to worsen.
If you have impacted wisdom teeth but don’t have any symptoms, the dentist may or may not decide to remove the impacted teeth. The dentist will continue to monitor the impacted teeth for health and complications if you don’t have the teeth removed.
When impacted wisdom teeth start causing symptoms, dentists will surgically remove them or extract them—especially if the symptoms are severe, like gum disease or decay. Besides removing the painful tooth, extraction can prevent future problems with your other teeth.
Tooth extraction may cause discomfort, but a dentist or anesthesiologist will give you anesthesia to numb your mouth during the procedure. Then your dentist will make an incision in your gums, remove the tooth, and close the wound. The process is usually outpatient, meaning you will be able to go home that same day.
Treat Impacted Wisdom Teeth at Supreme Dentistry
Our restorative dentistry procedures can help keep your teeth, gums, and jaw in healthy condition. An impacted wisdom tooth may require a long extraction process, and you’ll be in the skilled hands of our expert dentists. Sedation dentistry keeps you comfortable and calm during the procedure.
In addition to removing impacted wisdom teeth, we can diagnose and treat gum disease. Supreme Dentistry is also your one-stop shop for dental maintenance and oral health care. We offer regular check-ups so our dentists can treat potential problems as soon as they arise.
Whether you’re dealing with impacted wisdom teeth, wanting to fix other imperfections like loose or chipped teeth, or just looking to keep your mouth healthy, we can help. Contact Supreme Dentistry at 844.966.2333 or online to set up an appointment.
