Serious Complications From Impacted Wisdom Teeth

To explain the issues that impacted wisdom teeth can cause, we need to talk a little bit about them first.

Wisdom teeth usually emerge from the gums between 17 and 24 years of age. They are the last of the large molars at the back of your mouth. Some people never develop them.

You usually can tell if your wisdom teeth are growing when you have some symptoms such as pain or inflammation in the area, and even infection in some cases.

Unfortunately, up to 85% of today’s adults usually need to have one or more of these teeth removed due to complications.

Essentially, if one of the wisdom teeth doesn’t have enough room to emerge, it may twist, tilt, or displace other teeth in an attempt to make room.

How to know if you need wisdom teeth extractions? Do you know about the complications that impacted wisdom teeth can cause?

Keep reading because you are about to learn some negative aspects of impacted wisdom teeth.

Should you Have your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

For most people, wisdom teeth don’t cause any problems. But, for other people, wisdom teeth cause these issues: 

• Pain.
• Tooth decay.
• Sores.
• An unpleasant taste in the mouth near the affected area.
• Headache or jaw ache.
• Swollen, red, tender, or bleeding gums.
• Swelling around the jaw.
• Gum infection.
• Damage to other teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Food to be caught behind the tooth.
• Occasional difficulty opening the mouth.
• Occasionally swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

To diagnose impacted wisdom teeth, your dentist looks for swollen gums or signs of infection such as redness, drainage, and tenderness. 

A dentist can also inquire about your regular oral cleaning habits and about the symptoms you are feeling.

But the diagnosis will be complete only with the help of dental X-rays, which may also indicate damage to other teeth or the jawbone.  

A dentist needs X-rays because they show the wisdom teeth’ exact positions, helping surgeons decide the best way to remove them. 

Prepare for Extraction! 

Don’t worry if you need to extract your wisdom teeth, especially if you have impacted wisdom teeth.

We are going to explain why this is the best for you and your oral health. 

Your dentist or oral surgeon will explain how to prepare for tooth extraction.

For example, if you smoke, they will ask you to stop smoking because it increases your risk of wound infection, delaying your recovery.

The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia. This type of anesthesia you completely blocks the pain in your gums, and you remain awake during the process. 

You may be offered a sedative to help you relax during the surgery.

If you go to a hospital and your wisdom teeth are particularly difficult to remove, you may be given general anesthesia.

This happens a lot with impacted wisdom teeth.

What Causes Impacted Wisdom Teeth? 

Wisdom teeth can be useful parts of human anatomy if they are coming in the right position.

Third molars become impacted wisdom teeth when they don’t have enough room to erupt or develop. 

If we look for a cause, that reason would be the first one. Some patients have wisdom teeth that erupt without any problems and line up with the other teeth behind the second molars.

However, in many circumstances, the mouth is too crowded for wisdom teeth to develop correctly. And when the mouth is too crowded, these third molars become impacted. 

When impacted wisdom teeth partially emerge, leaving part of the crow visible is partially impacted.

But, if they never break through the gums, they are thoroughly trapped, leading to more significant problems. 

Whether partially or fully impacted, wisdom teeth may:

• Grow at an angle toward the next tooth (second molar)
• Arise at an angle toward the back of the mouth
• Grow at a right angle to the other teeth, as if the wisdom tooth is “lying down” within the jawbone
• Grow straight up or down like other teeth but stay trapped within the jawbone

If you thought that this problem develops because of your oral health, don’t worry.

However, you will need to address the issue before it turns into a bigger one! 

What can I Expect After a Wisdom Teeth Extraction?

Immediately after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should rest until the effect of the general anesthesia or sedation wears off.

After a local anesthetic, it may take several hours for your jaw to regain sensation. Be very careful not to chew on the area where your tooth was extracted.

You can go home when you feel ready. But a dentist may suggest you bring someone with you so that that person can help you and drive you home. 

A dental surgeon will recommend that you bring someone with you, especially if you were given general anesthesia or full sedation.

Before going home, your dentist or oral surgeon will give you some tips on caring for your teeth and gums to keep in mind during your wisdom tooth extraction recovery. 

They can give you pain relievers, antibiotics, and mouthwash solutions to take home.

How many days a tooth extraction hurts after the procedure will depend on each case.

But following the indications and treatment prescribed by your dentist in Clairemont, you will relieve these discomforts.

They may give you a date for a consultation to follow up on the tooth extraction healing. The absorbable sutures or stitches will go away on their own in 7 to 10 days.