Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to come out. They are present at the back of your mouth, usually near the last molars, and emerge around age 17. However, in some cases, the wisdom teeth may not erupt completely or at all, and they remain trapped in their sockets. This condition is known as impacted wisdom teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth cause several oral and dental issues, such as pain, infection, bleeding, cysts, jawbone deterioration, etc. Hence, it is best to get them removed to avoid such issues.
What Causes Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
The main reason for impacted wisdom teeth is the lack of space in the mouth for their emergence. This is because of the way your jawbone grows when you are a child. Also, if your wisdom teeth emerge partially but aren’t able to erupt further, they will get stuck in their sockets and remain there. Impacted wisdom teeth can also develop if you have a smaller jawbone structure than normal. Teeth may also drift from their normal position and crowd the wisdom teeth in the back of your mouth.
How Can You Identify an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause symptoms that are quite easy to identify. Some of them are as follows:
- Pain in the jawbone area.
- The emergence of a swollen or tender lymph node near the infection site.
- Blood discharge from the gum tissues near the impacted tooth.
- The formation of a cavity near the impacted tooth’s socket.
- Tenderness near the back of your mouth.The tooth may crack or crumble when you bite or chew food.
How Is an Impacted Wisdom Tooth Removed?
During your initial consultation with us, we will thoroughly diagnose your condition and understand its severity. We will also run scans and X-rays to find out if there is sufficient space for the impacted tooth above your last molar’s root to emerge or not. If there isn’t enough space for it, we will suggest getting it removed to avoid any future complications. Since an impacted wisdom tooth is located near your jawbone and molar roots, it can cause severe damage to them during surgery if not removed at the right time. Hence, we will administer local anesthesia to numb the region and make you feel comfortable during surgery.
During this process, we may have to shave off some of your gums so as to expose the tooth properly and give you a comfortable experience during surgery as well as after it. After removing your wisdom tooth, we will suture up your wound with a dissolvable thread and give you aftercare instructions that you have to follow strictly for a few days for proper healing.
Please reach out to our dental practice in Cypress, TX to have a consultation with our dentist. Call dentist in Cypress, TX at (832) 353-3600 or schedule an online consultation, and we’ll guide you further.Ready to schedule a consultation?
