Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to grow in the permanent set. Many individuals have four wisdom teeth, with two on each jaw. Sometimes, wisdom teeth lack enough space in the mouth thus remain hidden within the gums. Erupting wisdom teeth can grow in different angles, causing discomfort and overcrowding in the mouth. Due to the numerous complications arising from the incorrect eruption of the wisdom teeth, they may need to be removed.
Some dentists will recommend removing the wisdom teeth if they do not emerge fully or when they cause overcrowding. However, many densities believe that extracting these teeth as soon as they develop will help avoid further complications, and the surgical procedure will heal faster. If you seek to have your wisdom teeth removed, you need to consult with your dentist for guidance in making the right decision for your dental health. The following are some of the signs that you should remove your wisdom teeth:
Periodontal Disease that Involves Bone loss
Periodontitis is a severe infection of your gums caused by bacteria accumulation on the teeth and gums. When left untreated, periodontitis leads to damage to your jaws and the bones that support your teeth.
Periodontal disease begins when the food and bacteria accumulate on your gums and around the teeth, causing inflammation of the gums. Residual foods need to be removed regularly to avoid accumulations. With the eruption of wisdom teeth, gum pockets are formed, and they collect the food particles and bacteria. Also, the wisdom teeth cause overcrowding in your mouth, making it difficult to clean.
In the early stages of the disease, the gums recede from the teeth forming pockets, and you may experience pain and bleeding when you brush or floss. As periodontal disease progresses, the bones that support your teeth could be damaged, making your teeth unstable. In the advanced stages of periodontitis, the tissues and bones surrounding your teeth will deteriorate and cause tooth loss.
The effects of severe periodontal disease may be challenging to treat and could affect your dental health and overall health. If you experience the symptoms of periodontitis around the wisdom teeth, you need to have them removed. The wisdom teeth may cause you more harm than benefit when left in your mouth. By consulting a dentist from Tarzan dental care, you will receive expert guidance and the way forward for your problematic wisdom teeth.
Difficulty to keep your mouth clean Causing Bad Breath
Wisdom teeth come with many challenges, which may include crowding of the teeth. Also, they may be crooked or grow at different angles, making it challenging to maintain proper oral hygiene. This may result in halitosis, a condition characterized by bad breath. Bad breath can be embarrassing and may affect your self-esteem.
Bad breath varies depending on the cause of the condition. Some people may be conscious about their breath, even with a little odor, while others have a severe condition and do not know it. Poor oral hygiene is one of the causes of bad breath. Failure to brush your teeth and floss regularly can result in bacteria accumulation and bad breath. When wisdom teeth erupt, they may grow facing forward, sideways, or backward. Also, partial eruption may create gum pockets that collect food and bacteria, causing halitosis.
If you experience bad breath and find it difficult to clean your teeth after the eruption of wisdom teeth, it may be a sign that you need to have them removed.
Cysts or Tumors around Impacted Teeth
Jaw cysts and tumors are rare growths that develop on the jawbone or the soft tissues of your mouth. Cysts and tumors may vary in size and severity. A cyst is a lesion filled with fluid and may develop in the tissues as adult teeth erupt. Sometimes, wisdom teeth erupt partially or remain below the gums, and the cyst may grow on the excess gum. Even though the dentigerous cysts are non-cancerous, they can cause other complications like gum infections.
Smaller cysts may not cause symptoms, but larger cysts may cause swelling, tooth replacement, and sensitivity. Even when the cysts are small and unnoticeable, the cysts may cause tooth loss and jaw fractures. If you suffer tumors and costs over the impacted wisdom teeth, it may be a sign that you need to remove them.
Overcrowding of the Teeth Causing Discomfort
Teeth crowding is a dental condition where all your teeth do not fit on the jaw. This may result from a lack of enough space to accommodate the erupting teeth. When your jaw is too small, or your teeth are too large. Dental overcrowding is not only uncomfortable but a leading cause of teeth misalignment. The alignment of your teeth is a crucial factor in determining the general state of your teeth and confidence. Misaligned teeth often affect your smile and can lower your self-esteem.
Several factors result in crowded teeth, including the eruption of wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the last molars to grow. In most cases, the wisdom teeth are relatively larger and may squeeze the other teeth causing a crowded mouth. The symptoms of crowded teeth are different in each patient, and the severity of your condition may play a part in these symptoms. Some of the common symptoms of crowded teeth include:
- Overlapping teeth. When wisdom teeth do not have enough space to grow, they end up growing in all angles. This could push other teeth causing them to overlap. Overlapping of teeth distorts your overall outlook and makes your teeth difficult to clean.
- Painful chewing. When your teeth are overcrowded and ousting each other, they may become loose and cause pain when chewing or biting.
- Tongue biting or difficulty speaking. Overcrowded teeth, especially those that result from erupting wisdom teeth, can be challenging to adjust to and may result in speaking challenges.
- Twisting teeth. Twisting teeth can be a sign that your teeth are overcrowded. A tooth could turn in an attempt to fit on the jaw.
Untreated crowding could cause the condition to progress. Severe crowding can be difficult and more painful to treat. Also, crowded teeth are challenging to clean and may give rise to other dental problems like gum disease.
You can treat tooth crowding caused by wisdom teeth by removing them. When the teeth are extracted in time, the complications associated with lack of enough space on the jaws can be prevented. If an eruption of your wisdom teeth is causing your teeth to be crooked, it would be best to consult your dentist.
Distorted Angle of the Teeth causing Cavities
Cavities develop into tiny openings to the inside of the tooth. Bacteria in your mouth mainly cause cavities or tooth decay. Cavities are a common dental issue and, when left untreated, can affect the deeper layers of your teeth.
Wisdom teeth are easily susceptible to cavities and infection. This is because the teeth can grow at all angles causing uneven spaces where the food may be trapped. When cavities are not treated early, they can cause damage to the root and gums and result in tooth loss. Wisdom teeth often cause overcrowding of teeth. Overcrowded teeth are challenging to clean, and food particles will easily accumulate. Infected wisdom teeth can cause cavities to the nearing teeth.
If you suffer tooth decay or signs of cavities on the wisdom teeth, it may be a sign that you need to schedule an appointment to have them removed. This will protect the health and integrity of other teeth. Depending on the site of the cavities, they manifest with the following symptoms:
- Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold food and drinks.
- Spontaneous tooth pain.
- Black or brown stains on the biting surface of the tooth.
- Visible pits and holes on the teeth.
Swollen Tender and Bleeding Gums
As your wisdom teeth come in, they may push against the neighboring teeth causing them to move. Also, the tooth may grind on the jaw, causing a feeling of stiffness and discomfort. Too much pressure on your teeth and gums can cause swelling and bleeding of the gums on the back of the mouth and side of the jaw.
Red and swollen gums are caused by the flap of gum tissue next to your mouth and result from the partial eruption of the wisdom teeth. Swelling and bleeding of gums may be a sign that your wisdom teeth are problematic, and they should be removed.
Infection of the Partially Erupted Teeth (Pericoronitis)
Pericoronitis is the inflammation of gum tissues around the tooth crown. This type of infection is common with the lower jaw wisdom teeth when the gum tissues overlap the chewing surface. Pericoronitis can manifest with mild inflammation or an intense infection characterized by swelling of the gums, pain, and infection. Peritonitis differentiates from periodontitis and gingivitis in that infection occurs only on the infected tooth.
When the wisdom teeth erupt partially, the tooth will be partially exposed, causing the gum to overlap the tooth. With time, residual food particles and bacteria may be trapped between the tooth and the overlapping gum. An infection of the gums will develop when abscesses are formed under the overlapping gums. When left untreated, the infection could spread to other parts of the toot.
Mostly, pericoronitis is common in individuals in their mid-twenties when the wisdom teeth begin to erupt. Some of the symptom you may have an infection of partially erupted wisdom teeth may include:
- Bad breath. When bacteria and food particles overstay in the overlapping gum, you could suffer from bad breath, which is often uncomfortable.
- Redness of the gums and tissues. Infections often cause inflammation and redness of the gums due to the destruction of the cells by bacteria.
- Bad taste from pus. When left untreated, pericoronitis may cause wounds on the gums that will ooze puss into your mouth.
- Swollen lymph nodes. Swelling of the glands is a common symptom of infected wisdom teeth. Swollen lymph nodes could cause severe discomfort and pain.
If you suffer from pericoronitis, it may be a sign that you need to remove the wisdom teeth. Extracting the teeth as soon as they erupt is essential to avoid severe damage to your healthy teeth.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When you have small jaws or your teeth are too big, there may not be enough space left for the wisdom teeth to grow. This will cause your teeth to be impacted. The only way you can know that your wisdom teeth are impacted is by visiting a dentist for an x-ray. Wisdom teeth cannot grow when they are affected. The teeth are impacted when they are stuck under the gums or partially break through the gum.
Although most people do not have trouble with them, impacted teeth may cause severe problems to the surrounding teeth and gums. If you have impacted teeth, it would be beneficial to have them removed. Depending on how the teeth grow, impacted teeth could have:
- Vertical impaction. When your tooth is vertically impacted, it does not break through the gum and can cause severe damage to the roots of surrounding teeth.
- Mesioangular impaction. Sometimes, the wisdom teeth may grow towards the front of your mouth. This could be uncomfortable and distort the outlook of the teeth.
- Distoangular impaction. This form of tooth impaction occurs when your wisdom teeth erupt towards the back of the mouth.
- Horizontal impaction. The tooth is angled sideways at a 90 degrees angle and grows into the roots of other molars. This can cause damage to the neighboring teeth. Removing the impacted wisdom teeth will help save your healthy molars.
Scientists have discovered that at least a third of the population does not develop wisdom teeth. This is because we no longer need them to bite and chew.
Sinus Problems
The sinuses are empty air pockets in your skull and facial region. Sinuses are found in the forehead, behind the nose, and inside the cheekbones and help you breathe comfortably. Sinus infections occur when the air spaces become inflamed. This type of infection can cause difficulties when breathing and pain.
Your oral health is significant to your overall health. The relationship between wisdom teeth and sinus infections is one way your dental health affects your overall well-being. The wisdom teeth that appear on the upper jaw have their roots close to the sinuses. When the teeth grow in the wrong direction, the roots can push against the sinus, causing them to block.
If you experience headaches, nasal congestion, or sinus pressure, it may result from wisdom teeth eruption. Wisdom teeth extraction is a common procedure used by dentists to eliminate sinus infections. This procedure can take away the sinus problems by relieving pressure off the sinus and making it easy to breathe. Also, it will ease tension to the head and discomfort.
When you visit your dentist, they will examine that may include x-rays to ascertain that the sinus infection resulted from the wisdom teeth.
Jaw Damage and Pain
When the wisdom teeth grow, they can compromise the integrity of your jaw structure. Since the wisdom teeth may lack enough space to grow, they squeeze the existing teeth causing pain and difficulty opening your mouth. Also, the sensation of the teeth facing their way through the gums can be painful and damaging to the jaw. Before you have your wisdom teeth removed, you can use several over the counter treatments and home remedies to relieve the pain:
- Numbing gel. A numbing dental gel can help you dull the pain and reduce the feeling of your gums as the wisdom teeth erupt. You can apply most of the gels directly to the affected area. However, it is crucial to understand that a numbing gel is not a long-lasting solution, and you will need to have the teeth removed.
- Ice pack. Pressing an icepack on your gums when wisdom teeth are erupting or infected can reduce inflammation and reduce pain.
- Saltwater rinse. Improper growth of wisdom teeth can cause gum infections. Accumulation of bacteria on the broken gums may result in severe pain. Since salt is a natural disinfectant, you can rinse your mouth with salty water to relieve the pain as you book an appointment to extract the wisdom teeth.
Find a Tarzana Emergency Dentist Near Me
Having patients’ wisdom teeth removed has become a common practice. It is easy for these molars to be problematic. Therefore, your dentist may recommend that you have them removed before they cause severe damage to your jaws, gums, and surrounding teeth. Depending on the direction they grow and the space left in your mouth for these teeth, it is vital to remove them.
If you have issues with your wisdom teeth and consider having them removed, it is crucial to consult with a competent dentist. At Tarzana dental care, we offer you dental care guidance and wisdom teeth removal services to protect you from complications that arise from these teeth. Our team of general dentists and assistants will watch out for you every step of the way to ensure a quick and pain-free recovery. We serve clients seeking treatment in Tarzana, CA, and ensure they receive the desired outcome in their dental procedures. Call us today at 818-708-3232.