What Are Impacted Teeth?
Impacted teeth are third molars at the back of your mouth (your wisdom teeth) that don’t have any room to grow. Wisdom teeth are the last adult teeth to emerge in our mouths. Typically, if people have wisdom teeth (and not everyone does), they will have two on the top of their mouth and two on the bottom of their mouth.
Ouch: Wisdom Teeth Can Sometimes Cause Pain
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, damage to your other teeth and may result in other dental problems. Sometimes, wisdom teeth don’t impact your other teeth, but overall, they are hard to clean so they may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.
Typically, if your impacted wisdom teeth cause you pain and discomfort, you will get them removed. As stated above, sometimes dentists and surgeons think it’s better to have them removed regardless of whether or not they will cause you further discomfort in the future.
What Are the Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth don’t cause problems or symptoms in everyone, but if they become infected or start to damage other teeth you may experience a number of different symptoms.
If your impacted wisdom teeth are causing problems you may experience these symptoms:
- Red or swollen gums
- Tender gums that may bleed
- Jaw pain that may lead to swelling
- Bad breath
- A funny or bad taste in your mouth
- Difficulty or pain opening your mouth
What Causes Wisdom Teeth to Become Impacted?
Wisdom teeth become impacted when they don’t have enough room to grow or emerge from your gums. Wisdom teeth usually emerge in people between the ages of 17 and 25 years old.
If your wisdom teeth emerge and don’t have enough room to grow or function normally, then that’s when they become trapped or impacted.
A partially impacted wisdom tooth is when it starts to emerge, but you can only see the top of it (the crown).
A fully impacted wisdom tooth is when the tooth never breaks the gums.
How Your Dentist Will Diagnose and Treat Your Impacted Teeth
When you go to your dentist in your late teens and early 20s, they will look for a few things to see if you have impacted wisdom teeth. Your dentist will check to see if your gums are swollen, tender or red. They’ll check if they can see a tooth emerged or if it’s covered by swollen tissue. The gums around the impacted area may also show signs of swelling, drainage and tenderness.
Call Daxon Dentistry to Help With Your Impacted Wisdom Teeth
If you or someone you know has swollen, painful or reddened gums around their back morals, it may be time to discuss a dental appointment. At Daxon Dentistry, we are determined to diagnose and treat all of our patients as quickly as possible. Don’t hesitate, call us today for any of your dental needs.
