Wisdom teeth are the upper and lower third molars, located at the very back of the mouth. They are called wisdom teeth because usually, they come in when a person is between 17 and 21 years or older Old enough to have gained some wisdom. Wisdom teeth that are healthy and properly positioned do not Cause problems.
WHAT CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH WISDOM TEETH?
Wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them where food can become trapped and a gum infection can develop. Wisdom teeth can also come in crooked or facing the wrong direction. Or, if your jaw is not large enough to give them room, they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums. You may have trouble properly cleaning around Wisdom teeth because they are so far in the back of your mouth and may be crowded.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF WISDOM TOOTH PROBLEMS?
Wisdom teeth often cause no symptoms. Symptoms that may mean your wisdom teeth need to be removed Include: .Pain or jaw stiffness near an impacted tooth. .Pain or irritation from a tooth coming in at an awkward angle and rubbing against your cheek, tongue, or top or bottom of the mouth. .An infected swelling in the flap of gum tissue that has formed on top of an impacted tooth that has partially broken through the gum. .Crowding of other teeth. .Tooth decay or gum disease if there’s not enough room to properly care for the wisdom tooth and surrounding teeth.
HOW ARE PROBLEMS WITH WISDOM TEETH DIAGNOSED?
Your dentist will examine your teeth and gums for signs of a wisdom tooth coming through your gum or crowding other teeth. You will have X-rays to find out whether your wisdom teeth are causing problems now or are likely to cause problems in the future. RISKS After a wisdom tooth is removed, you may experience:
- Pain and swelling in your gums and tooth socket where the tooth was removed.
- Bleeding that won’t stop for about 24 hours. .The difficulty with or pain from opening your jaw (trismus).
- Slow-healing gums.
- Damage to existing dental work, such as crowns or bridges, or to roots of a nearby tooth.
- A painful inflammation called dry socket, which happens if the protective blood clot is lost too soon.
- Numbness in your mouth and lips after the local anesthetic wears off, due to injury or inflammation of nerves in the jaw.
Rare Side Effects, Including
- Numbness in the mouth or lips that does not go away.
- A fractured jaw if the tooth was firmly attached to the jaw bone.
- An opening into the sinus cavity when a wisdom tooth is removed from the upper jaw.
