What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Our mouth does not remain constant throughout life as it goes through many changes. One important dental milestone that takes place at the age of 17 to 21 is the arrival of third molars. The third and final set of molars which many people get in the late teens or early twenties is known as wisdom teeth. They are the last four of a person’s 32 teeth to erupt. These types of teeth have been named wisdom because they come through at a more mature age. They can often grow sideways, crooked or otherwise misaligned.
Teeth may become tilted, displaced or twisted as they try to emerge. By the time they grow and develop, they can cause peculiarities of overcrowding and misalignment for other teeth as well.
Wisdom Teeth Impacted
Impacted Wisdom Teeth can be described as the third molar at the back side of mouth which do not have a sufficient space to emerge or originate normally. They are the last adult teeth that come into the mouth (erupt). Most of the people have four wisdom teeth in the back side of their mouth- a pair of two on the top and same at the bottom.
According to some sources, several degrees of impacted wisdom teeth are there, based on where the teeth lie within the jaw. Soft tissue disorder happens when the tooth’s crown has crept in through the bone, but the gum still covers part of the tooth. When the tooth has partially begun, but a part of the tooth keeps submerged in the jawbone, it is considered as partial bony impaction.
Impacted wisdom teeth contain different types of complications. Like if it pushes against the second molar, it may increase the risk of infection in that area or may damage the second molar. They appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay than other teeth.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth Symptoms
It is not guaranteed that impacted wisdom teeth will always cause symptoms. Though, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, chances of damage over other teeth may arise and one may face other dental problems. Impacted wisdom teeth can prove to be very painful for some people.
Some of the symptoms have been mentioned below.
- The impacted wisdom teeth might break through the gums, and some of the gums may become visible.
- A partially impacted wisdom tooth may cause problems like cleaning the tooth more difficult or causing the food to become trapped.
- One can feel swelling, pain, as well as infection in the case of impacted wisdom teeth and the situation, should not go untreated.
- Wisdom teeth pain may also lead towards impacted wisdom teeth.
- Some other symptoms contain jaw pain, bad breath, an ungrateful taste in mouth, problems in opening the mouth, red or swollen gums, etc.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
While surgery may sound a bit scary, it is ordinary and often less painful than the discomfort linked with impacted wisdom teeth. According to a source, almost 85% of wisdom teeth need to be removed. One can remove the impacted wisdom teeth at an oral surgeon’s office.
The practitioner will numb the patient’s mouth for avoiding discomfort at the time of the procedure and will make a simple incision to pluck out one or all of your impacted wisdom teeth. Once the teeth get extracted, the assistance of stitches will be there to close the incision and allow the gums to heal.
There might be chances of bleeding for a few days. After the treatment, it is very important to follow the instructions of a dental professional for post-surgical care. Once the mouth gets completely healed, one can return to their normal oral hygiene to keep their teeth and mouth healthy.
Most people can get back to perform their normal activities after a few days of surgery. It is said that the mouth gets completely heal in near about six weeks. After the treatment, there will be problems in opening the mouth for about a week, that’s why the patient needs to eat soft foods. As discussed earlier, the patient may experience some pain, swelling and bleeding, so it is better to follow the instructions of your dentist in order to manage discomfort, like using cold compresses and taking pain medications.
Conclusion
Sometimes a person may have impacted teeth but he does not realize it. If you have experienced any of the impacted wisdom symptoms, visit your dentist. If such types of teeth are left untreated, they can lead towards tooth decay and gum disease. Even possibilities of infection, damage and overcrowding may appear. Just because the bone is more flexible in people under the age of 30, removal of such tooth may be simpler before then. Even some impacted wisdom teeth do not need removal if they don’t cause problems.