How To Know If Your Wisdom Teeth Need To Be Extracted

Wisdom Teeth Woes?

Are you suffering from constant headaches, facial pain, and pain when eating? This all could be caused by your wisdom teeth and can make life very unpleasant for you.

Wisdom teeth are an adult’s third set of molars found at the back of your mouth. Most adults will develop wisdom teeth (one in each corner of the mouth), however there is a very small percent of people who don’t get wisdom teeth at all.

Wisdom teeth begin erupting between 17-21 years of age and can emerge completely, partially, or remain buried beneath the gum tissue entirely (known as impacted teeth). Whilst some people won’t experience any problems with their wisdom teeth, others will be affected by pain and discomfort which can worsen over time. When an adult is suffering from pain or other dental issues thanks to their wisdom teeth, then it may be recommended that the teeth are removed.

How to Know if Your Wisdom Teeth Need to be Extracted?

During your regular dental check-up, your dentist will perform an x-ray on your teeth and mouth. This x-ray can help your dentist identify any dental issues which cannot be seen by the naked eye. Issues such as impacted teeth, swellings, cysts, signs of decay, etc. can all be looked for via an x-ray. Additionally, the x-ray can help your dentist check how your wisdom teeth are growing and if an extraction may be needed.

Some reasons for wisdom tooth extraction include:

The tooth is misaligned

When wisdom teeth erupt in a crooked position, they can push the rest of your teeth out of place causing widespread misalignment. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and difficulty chewing or eating. Unfortunately, crooked wisdom teeth cannot be straightened using braces and will need to be removed before orthodontic treatment to straighten the rest of the teeth can begin.

It hasn’t erupted fully or at all

If there isn’t enough room in your mouth, wisdom teeth can erupt only partially (with most of the tooth remaining in the gum tissue) or remain completely beneath the gum line. This is known as an impacted tooth as it lies on its side, pressing up against the tooth next to it causing a bad bite, crowding, and tooth misalignment as well. Impacted teeth cannot be corrected using traditional dental treatments and needs to be removed to resolve any issues it may have caused.

Pain

When the wisdom teeth grow awkwardly or become impacted, they can cause pain and discomfort which can be felt at the site of the tooth, the face, head, jaws, and even neck. If the impacted tooth rubs against the adjacent tooth, it causes severe pain and even jaw stiffness. Pain may also be felt when eating, and you may experience constant and unexplained headaches. Pain may also be caused by swelling in the gum tissue due to an impacted or infected wisdom tooth. Removal of the wisdom teeth can help alleviate these issues.

Tooth decay and infection

Wisdom teeth can be more difficult to clean because of its location. By being so far at the back of the mouth, it can be hard to reach with regular toothbrushes and for flossing. This can result in an accumulation of plaque, tartar, and bacteria which can lead to tooth decay and even infection. If not treated properly, it can spread to the rest of your teeth causing major dental problems. If you experience tooth decay and infection, the best option will be to remove the wisdom teeth to reduce your chances to developing problems again.

Not everyone will need to remove their wisdom teeth but, in most cases, it can become problematic over time. Wisdom teeth should be removed when it starts causing issues since the problems can grow in no time resulting in more pain and discomfort for you.

Wisdom tooth removal at Kitchener Street Dental

Having some wisdom teeth woes? Get them professionally and safely examined and extracted at Kitchener Street Dental. Book an appointment by calling (07)3184 8462 or completing the enquiry form on our Contact Us page.