What is an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?

An impacted wisdom tooth is the third molar that grows towards the back of your mouth. Such teeth typically don’t have room for normal growth and thus grow impacted. An impacted wisdom tooth can be painful, and it can also cause damage and other dental problems. Some dentists recommend impacted wisdom tooth removal to prevent pain and other complications.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth: Symptoms

Surprisingly, most impacted wisdom teeth don’t have symptoms. However, after they are infected and have caused damage to other teeth, the symptoms occur, some of which are as follows.

• Swollen and red gums.
• Bleeding or tender gums.
• Jaw pain and swelling in surrounding areas.
• Bad breath
• Unpleasant taste
• Difficulty opening your mouth.

If you experience these symptoms in the last molars and the areas behind them, visit a dentist.

Causes of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth emerge around ages 17 and 25. For some people, wisdom teeth appear just fine and without any complications. They even line up perfectly with the teeth behind the second molars.

However, if the mouth is too crowded for these molars to erupt, that is when they become impacted. An impacted wisdom tooth can appear in two ways. Sometimes, it is just the crown that appears, while sometimes, the tooth erupts fully impacted.

The tooth may exhibit the following signs of being fully or partially impacted.

• It is angled towards the second molar.
• It is angled towards the back of your mouth.
• They grow perpendicular to other teeth as if it is lying down within the jawbone.
• They grow upright like other teeth yet remain trapped within the jawbone.

Complications of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Impacted wisdom teeth can result in the following complications.

Tooth Damage

It can push against the second molar and cause infection. The increase in pressure may affect the crowding of your teeth and may require orthodontic treatment.

Cysts

Wisdom teeth develop in sacs within the jaw bone. This sac can fill up with fluids, resulting in cyst formation. Such cysts usually need professional removal of bone and tissue.

Decay

Unlike fully impacted wisdom teeth, partially impacted wisdom teeth are more likely to decay. Because they are harder to clean, they fall prey to bacterial infections and decay.

Gum Disease

Your inability to clean your impacted wisdom teeth may result in a painful gum disease called Pericoronitis.

Final Word

If you are dealing with an impacted wisdom tooth, you have come to the right place.  At Coastal Periodontics, we offer a variety of dental treatments and procedures like wisdom teeth extractions and wisdom removal Portsmouth.

Our dentists are experienced and thoroughly examine before prescribing a procedure or medication. To benefit from our services, feel free to reach out to us.