Do your wisdom teeth bother you? They can cause pain and discomfort. It may be time to see a dentist for a wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth or third molars are the last teeth to come in. They can crowd other teeth and damage their roots. They can cause decay, gum infection, or cysts if you don’t treat them.
Therefore this article highlights when and why you need wisdom teeth removal.
It’s normal to fear wisdom teeth extraction, but it’s essential to do it to avoid more problems later. One way to calm your anxiety is to visit a skilled and experienced dentist.
When Do You Need Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Extraction may be the only appropriate option if you have impacted wisdom teeth that are poorly positioned or irreparably damaged. Extraction of wisdom teeth may be advisable if:
- Your jaw is too small to accommodate the eruption.
- When there is a lack of space in the dental arch.
- When your wisdom tooth is unable to break through the overlying gums.
- When your wisdom tooth breaks partly into your gums, creating a flap that can trap food and bacteria.
When your wisdom tooth erupts at a tricky angle and faces backward, forward, sideways, or at any angle but the crown up.
Why do wisdom teeth need to be removed?
Following are the factors that make wisdom teeth removal non-negotiable for you.:
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Pain & Sensitivity:
You initially realize that you need wisdom teeth removal because of the pain and discomfort you begin to experience in the teeth, gums, or jaw. Like any other dental trouble, the pain or tooth sensitivity can start small. If left untreated, serious oral health issues could develop, and your teeth could begin to shift.
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Jaw Damage & Discomfort:
Like other teeth, the third molars form in the gums and jaws, but the space around them is sometimes too narrow to erupt properly. If this occurs, the jawbone can hurt the mouth’s mobility, and function may be impacted. This can even affect surrounding teeth and the jaw.
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Damage to Neighboring Teeth:
With all your adult teeth in place, your mouth doesn’t need and has space for wisdom teeth. Therefore, the emergence of wisdom teeth results in shifting and crowding of your other teeth. This can make your teeth uncomfortable and sensitive, causing long-term oral health problems. If you avoid wisdom teeth removal, you will keep dealing with these issues.
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Inflamed Gums:
Oral health is more than just the cleanliness of your teeth. Your gums are also affected if they are damaged by the incorrect eruption of your wisdom teeth. You can easily develop sores as your internal mouth area is intensely sensitive. Also, you may be unable to clean your gums properly, which could lead to gum infection and tooth decay.
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Sinus Problems:
Your wisdom teeth can impact your sinuses, which are found behind the nasal passageways. As your wisdom teeth start coming into the mouth, their roots can press against the sinus area behind the nose, which often causes headaches or sinus infections.
What Age is Ideal for Wisdom Teeth Removal?
According to experts, the late teens or early 20s is the ideal age for a wisdom tooth removal. This is because it is the development stage when your wisdom teeth are still forming. So the risk associated with wisdom tooth extraction generally becomes negligible at this age.
How Do You Do Aftercare After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Here are some helpful aftercare tips to comfortably recover after wisdom tooth removal:
- Brush your teeth normally but carefully, avoiding the area under recovery.
- Apply an ice pack or any other cold compress to get relief from swelling and inflammation.
- Take a lot of rest for a few days post-extraction.
- Swish gently to prevent dislodged blood clots leading to dry sockets.
- Take all medications as prescribed, especially painkillers and antibiotics.
- Don’t do anything which requires a lot of energy for a few days after the wisdom teeth removal.
- Use antimicrobial mouthwash to keep the recovering area clean and free of infection.
Removing your impacted wisdom teeth may be the best idea since serious problems could arise from impacted teeth, including cysts, bone & teeth damage, decay in adjacent teeth, and infections. It is advisable to remove it at a younger age (teenage) when the tooth size is small, and the bone is pliable.
At this age, the chances of complications are much less, and the recovery is faster if you know how to care for a wisdom tooth extraction. The dentist also prescribes painkillers to reduce the pain following the procedure. The healing process does not take more than three to four days with proper dental care after removing the wisdom tooth.