04 Apr Experiencing Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
Do you have recurring headaches? Perhaps you suffer with facial pain. These are common symptoms associated with wisdom tooth retention – especially impacted wisdom teeth. Keeping your wisdom teeth can have profound effects on your quality of life and be incredibly damaging to your oral health. Since wisdom teeth are often detrimental to a person’s oral health, your dentist will likely recommend their removal. Following is some helpful information about wisdom teeth extraction and why it is necessary.
The Problem with Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth become an oral health issue when they erupt because they emerge many years after the rest of adult teeth come in. While adult teeth come in during adolescence, wisdom teeth – also known as third molars – erupt during adulthood, normally between the ages of 17 and 25.
This late eruption of third molars can threaten the positioning and placement of existing teeth because the mouth does not have adequate room for wisdom teeth to come through upright. Instead, wisdom teeth become stuck in the gums and their emergence can cause other teeth to crowd or overlap. Because third molars affect tooth placement, orthodontic treatment may be necessary to correct tooth alignment after wisdom teeth have been extracted.
When teeth are stuck in the gums (impacted), they are at great risk for becoming decayed and may subsequently become abscessed. The gingival tissue surrounding an abscessed tooth is also at risk for becoming infection. In fact, patients who keep their wisdom teeth are more likely to develop dental caries and periodontal disease.
Another common issue associated with the retention of wisdom teeth is an overall reduction in quality of life. Patients who keep these teeth frequently suffer with jaw tenderness and frequent headaches. For some, eating food can be uncomfortable—especially if third molars and the surrounding tissue are infected.
Extracting Wisdom Teeth
The surgical removal of a wisdom tooth is recommended to prevent the myriad of problems associated with their arrival. When extracting teeth, our dentist takes great care to ensure patient comfort during his or her procedure along with a speedy recovery.
To schedule a checkup or consultation, call our friendly staff today.