Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located in the very back of your mouth and are the last adult teeth to develop. Typically wisdom teeth do not emerge until the late teen years or early adulthood (ages 17-25). While most people’s wisdom teeth develop without any issues, some people experience complications when their molars become impacted. To help you get a better understanding of how impacted wisdom teeth are treated we’ve created this brief overview to give you more information.

 

Symptoms

When a patient’s wisdom teeth become impacted, one of the common symptoms they experience is pain. On the other hand, some patients won’t even notice that their wisdom teeth have become impacted until their dentist brings it to their attention. While symptoms may vary among patients if the tooth becomes infected, most patients will experience symptoms such as:

  • Pain or swelling along the jawline
  • Bad breath
  • Problems opening their mouths
  • Swollen or bleeding gums

 

Causes

There are two types of impacted wisdom teeth. The first type is known as a partially impacted wisdom tooth which simply means that the tooth has not fully broken through the gums. The second type of impacted wisdom tooth is referred to as a fully impacted wisdom tooth which means the tooth never broke through the gums. Wisdom teeth can become impacted when a patient doesn’t have enough room in their mouth to accommodate more teeth. When teeth don’t have enough room to develop properly, they can begin to grow in at the wrong angle, causing them to become trapped.

 

Complications

Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to other oral complications such as:

  • Cysts
  • Tooth decay
  • Gum disease
  • Damage to other teeth

 

Treatment

If a patient is experiencing an impacted wisdom tooth, their dentist may suggest undergoing a tooth extraction in East Orange, NJ. The procedure is usually an outpatient surgery so you can expect to go home the same day in most cases. When performing the surgery, your dentist may administer some form of anesthetic to help with pain management.

 

Prevention

While there is no way to prevent an impacted wisdom tooth from occurring, keeping up with your regular checkups and dental cleanings will allow your dentist to monitor the growth of your wisdom teeth.

 

To schedule a dental cleaning in Irvington, NJ, please call American Dental Care of Newark today at 973-453-9088.