Wisdom Teeth Issues

Wisdom teeth are jokingly called the dentists best friend: they almost always need to be removed or have some kind of problem with them. In this article we wish to go about explaining why wisdom tooth pain and wisdom tooth issues are so frequent, and what kind of issues they are. We also wish to describe the different kinds of problems that frequently occur with wisdom teeth, and thus can prepare you for what you may experience.

Wisdom Teeth Issues

Impacted wisdom teeth

The human mouth is frequently too small to allow for the growth of wisdom teeth due to evolutional changes in the shape of the human skull. Wisdom teeth had a functional role in the mouth of homo Erectus, but as the skull changed, there is often no more room for these teeth. In these cases the wisdom teeth may grow underneath other teeth or overlapping the molars, pushing the entire row of teeth in a given direction. This is called an impacted wisdom tooth, or wisdom tooth impaction. When wisdom teeth grow in this manner, you have to remove them.

These extractions are frequently surgical tooth extractions, and an oral surgeon needs to perform it because there isn’t enough space for the dentist to perform a regular tooth extraction.

Impacted wisdom teeth do not get better on their own. When getting the tooth extracted, you will have a rather big surgical site to deal with, and you need to have a blood clot form on top of it, or else you will experience excruciating pain.

Infected wisdom teeth

Sometimes wisdom teeth only partially erupt; only the cusps of the crown stick out, or only a portion of the tooth comes out of the gums. This is a huge problem for two reasons.

One is that the gums around it are damaged and there will be a wound around the tooth in a hard to reach the area that is difficult to clean, making it the perfect place for periodontitis to form. The second is that it will be difficult to clean, and the result is that the wisdom tooth and the gums around it will be infected.

Aside from being painful and sensitive, this is a problem because it can easily lead to an abscess, and causes halitosis and can even give you a fever or septic shock if the situation gets out of hand. The way to treat these is by extraction, or possibly a root canal and some circumcision of the gums to expose all of the teeth.

Tooth decay

Because of their position, all the way in the back of the mouth, wisdom teeth are more prone to tooth decay and caries. Much of the food we chew ends up being smooshed into the back of the mouth, and cleaning it is difficult, so there is more food for bacteria and more food detritus in the back where the wisdom teeth are located.

Wisdom teeth are some of the largest teeth you have; they are your third set of molars, so when they have carried, they are usually big. If you notice any changes in your wisdom teeth, contact your dentist immediately, as it is very important to nip these problems in the bud, as root canal treatments for wisdom teeth are often impossible to perform, so advanced decay usually ends with extractions.    

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