The Common Problems Associated With Wisdom Teeth

The following article is a short guide about the reasons why wisdom teeth can cause problems. We also discuss what kind of symptoms they may result in...

Problems with wisdom teeth resulting from their 'impaction' is a very common situation. These are almost always the last teeth to erupt into your mouth. Now there usually are four, one in each corner of your mouth at the back. They will mostly emerge between seventeen and twenty-four, but sometimes will appear later (or earlier!).

The trouble is the fact that because they are the final teeth to enter your mouth, there is frequently inadequate space to enable them to fully come through. Therefore they will often only partly emerge into the mouth or perhaps not come through at all.

When there is adequate space for the wisdom teeth, they should come through into the mouth normally and act as any other tooth. There may be some issues including soreness as they emerge, however this will likely disappear once the tooth finds its eventual position.

Discomfort coming from wisdom teeth can develop if you don't a sufficient amount of room within the mouth. The wisdom teeth can therefore become impacted. A wisdom tooth is termed impacted should it be obstructed from erupting into your mouth completely. Thus it can remain at an angle as opposed to becoming up-right, i.e. tipped against the tooth ahead of it. Technically, any tooth can become impacted, but it's these teeth which are the most often impacted, as a result of their late eruption. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a variety of issues, but it ought to be noted that they can result in no issues at all.

If a wisdom tooth is bothersome symptoms might include:

Ache and swelling of the gum overlying the wisdom teeth, bad breath and bad taste within your mouth. Pus appearing from the inflamed gum area and tenderness when you open your mouth or trouble on opening your mouth. Pain while eating or biting as this affects the swollen gum area and pain/ulcers on the cheek. Ear-ache frequently occurs. The problems may appear for several days and after that clear up. The discomfort can then return at any time, frequently with weeks or even months between incidences.

More severe problems may develop coming from the impacted teeth: Swollen glands or nodes under the chin and swelling of the face and jaw. Muscle spasms in the jaw. Temperature and general malaise. Such symptoms may indicate a severe infection which can be very serious if not treated. Immediate guidance needs to be sought from your dentist.

Cause of the Problems:

The cause of these issues is that whenever a wisdom tooth is impacted, a flap of gum will lay above it. Because it is difficult to completely clean properly underneath this gum flap, bacteria will proliferate here and your gum will become inflamed. This kind of inflammation is named 'pericoronitis'. Pericoronitis is generally relatively simple to deal with. It is when it is a persistent issue that extraction of the wisdom teeth has to be considered.

An impacted tooth can be present in your mouth without you actually even realizing it, given that it may not be leading to any symptoms. On the other hand other troubles can also be related to impacted wisdom teeth:

Impacted wisdom teeth are susceptible to tooth decay. This is mainly because food can gather around them, under the gum, and they are generally difficult to clean. The teeth lying beside the impacted tooth is likewise at greater risk of decay for the same reason.

Likewise, the region is more susceptible to gum disease as it is difficult to completely clean. Seldom, cysts and various similar growths can develop around an impacted tooth. For that reason even when impacted wisdom teeth aren't leading to problems, or other noticeable problems, they ought to be checked out regularly.

Preventing problems from wisdom teeth:

The more clean the area (along with your mouth on the whole) is, typically the less likely that pericoronitis will occur. Hence basic oral hygiene measures should be followed, this includes flossing in the area of the wisdom tooth and regularly using mouthwashes. Your dentist can assist you with further advice. Do attend regularly even if a wisdom tooth is not giving you any noticeable symptoms