Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Here at Smile Hub Dental Clinic, we see a lot of patients in pain with impacted wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the third molar at the back of the mouth. There are usually four wisdom teeth, 2 on the upper arch and two on the lower arch but some people may not get them all. When there is not enough room for the wisdom tooth to develop or erupt through the gum it can become impacted.
When wisdom teeth are impacted, they can result in many problems. Impacted wisdom teeth are hard to reach and clean which can lead to tooth decay on them or teeth beside them. Infections are common due to bacteria building up around them which can cause pain. When a wisdom tooth is impacted, we usually suggest having it removed as it is not an essential tooth and will more than likely continue to cause complications.
Here at Smile Hub Dental Clinic, we are open late and see emergencies often. Many emergencies and pain are caused by impacted wisdom teeth. In some cases, there are no symptoms at all, but if the tooth becomes infected or damaged some of the symptoms can include:
- Swelling or redness on the gums
- Bleeding and tenderness on the gums
- Pain in the jaw
- Swelling around the jaw
- Finding it hard to open your mouth
- Bad breath
- An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Wisdom teeth become impacted when they do not have enough space to erupt. Wisdom teeth usually develop in your 20s and can erupt in the right position without any problems. Sometimes a wisdom tooth can partially emerge where the top pf the tooth is slightly visible which is known as partially impacted. If it does not come through the gum at all it is known as fully impacted.