Impacted Wisdom Teeth
The third, “extra” molar that can emerge from the gum at the very back of the mouth is called wisdom a tooth. Wisdom teeth are usually the very last of the teeth that an adult will ever grow; they are the last of the adult teeth of the mouth. There are four kinds of wisdom teeth- two on the top, and two on the bottom. It is a very normal thing that is likely to happen to all adults between the ages of 17 to 25. Sometimes, however, the wisdom teeth don’t have enough space to grow, and as a result, they tend to grow at a different angle, and hence, cause a lot of trouble and pain for the person in the process. These affected, or space-deprived wisdom teeth are called ‘impacted wisdom teeth’.
Impacted wisdom teeth may cause much damage to the surrounding teeth and also make the person suffer a lot of pain. On top of the pain, because of the deep position of the teeth at the very end of the mouth, it is very difficult to clean the teeth, and so, the impacted wisdom teeth are also very vulnerable to decay and disease of the gum and jaw.
Impacted wisdom teeth don’t always cause trouble; however, they can show certain complications that need to be handled by professionals, a.k.a. dentists, who sometimes have to have oral surgery to remove the impacted teeth if the damage is too much.
The dentist only needs to remove the wisdom teeth to save the surrounding teeth or to prevent the condition of your teeth and gums from further damage when the impacted wisdom teeth get infected and damaged even further. So, if you face any of the following symptoms, then visiting your dentist is highly suggested for you.
The symptoms of an infection from an impacted wisdom tooth are:
- A painful jaw
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- Bleeding gums
- Swollen or red gums
- Extreme bad breath
- Unpleasant, stale taste in your mouth
Contact your dentist or a nearby dentist as soon as possible if you think you have an infection from the wisdom teeth, because putting off the dentist visit will only mean that the infection will get more time to get worse and become harder to treat.