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Impacted wisdom teeth are third molars at the back of the mouth that don’t have enough room to emerge or develop normally. Wisdom teeth are the last adult teeth to come into the mouth (erupt).
Types of Impactions
Most people have four wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth — two on the top, two on the bottom. Impacted wisdom teeth can result in pain, damage to other teeth and other dental problems. In some cases, impacted wisdom teeth may cause no apparent or immediate problems. But because they’re hard to clean, they may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease than other teeth are.Impacted wisdom teeth that cause pain or other dental complications are usually removed. Some dentists and oral surgeons also recommend removing impacted wisdom teeth that don’t cause symptoms to prevent future problems. Impacted wisdom teeth don’t always cause symptoms. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, damages other teeth or causes other dental problems, you may experience some of these signs or symptoms:
- Red or swollen gums
- Tender or bleeding gums
- Jaw pain
- Swelling around the jaw
- Bad breath
- An unpleasant taste in your mouth
- Difficulty opening your mouth
FAQ’s :
1. Is it necessary to remove impacted wisdom tooth?
It’s not necessary for you to get your wisdom teeth removed if they are correctly positioned in your mouth and do not cause any pain or dental problems. If they are impacted and/or cause crowding in your teeth, a dentist will recommend that you have them removed.
2. How painful is an impacted wisdom tooth?
An impacted wisdom tooth might break through the gums, and part of the gums can be seen. For some people, a partially impacted tooth is very painful. If the tooth becomes infected or causes other issues, you may have symptoms such as pain or swelling around the jaw.
3. Are impacted wisdom teeth harder to remove?
Impacted wisdom teeth are more difficult to remove, leave you at greater risk for complications from surgery, and can permanently damage bones and other teeth. Also, the longer wisdom teeth pain persists, the more likely it is that an infection will result from bacteria entering open tissue.
4. What happens if you don’t remove impacted wisdom teeth?
Wisdom tooth extraction can be a bit of a hassle, but skipping out on it can cause lasting problems in your mouth. Wisdom teeth are often removed because they either don’t fully erupt from the gums or don’t erupt at all. A partially erupted wisdom tooth can lead to bacterial infection called pericoronitis.
5. Will impacted wisdom teeth pain go away?
Often the discomfort and pain will go away on its own, but sometimes wisdom teeth will need to be removed. The procedure is usually a quick procedure carried out using local anaesthetic, with a recovery time of a couple of days.
