With age comes wisdom, which is a blessing, and wisdom teeth, which can be a problem! Also known as the third molar, wisdom teeth are the last permanent teeth to appear in the mouth, usually coming through the gums sometime between the ages of 17 and 25. In some people they may come up partially and for others, they may never come up at all.
The problem is that sometimes a wisdom tooth doesn’t have enough room to grow properly and it can become impacted, causing pain, infection and other dental problems. If this happens you will need to arrange to have them removed by your dentist in East Melbourne or the oral surgeon they might recommend who specializes in the process. Many dentists and oral surgeons recommend having your wisdom teeth removed even if they aren’t currently causing any harm, because they can lead to future problems as you age.
Impacted wisdom teeth have the potential to:
- Grow at an angle toward the back of the mouth
- Grow at an angle toward the next tooth, the second molar
- Grow straight up or down like other teeth but stay trapped within the jawbone
- Grow at a right angle to the other teeth, as if it is “lying down” within the jawbone
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms it means that you will very likely need to have your impacted wisdom tooth removed:
- Chronic Pain
- Food and debris are trapped behind the wisdom tooth
- Braces to straighten other teeth are being compromised
- A fluid-filled sac or cyst has developed around the wisdom tooth
- Periodontal diseases such as infection or gum disease
- Tooth decay in wisdom teeth emerging from the gums
- Nearby teeth or surrounding bones are suffering damage
There has been some disagreement among dental health specialists as to whether or not it’s wise to remove impacted wisdom teeth that aren’t currently causing problems. These well-behaved wisdom teeth are also called asymptomatic wisdom teeth. The majority of dental specialists recommend going ahead and taking out wisdom teeth that aren’t causing any problems pre-emptively in the patient’s late teens or early 20s. Their reasoning for this is that the risk of experiencing accompanying complications is much lower, and the procedure is usually safer because patients at this age tolerate it well.
While it is difficult to ascertain whether wisdom teeth will eventually become impacted, there are some sound reasons for removing them in advance:
Wisdom teeth that aren’t currently causing any problems might still host diseases that could affect you later in life when your immune system is weaker.
In cases where there isn’t enough space for the tooth to come through without crowding, making them difficult to clean properly.
Younger adults are far less likely to suffer serious complications with wisdom teeth removal.
Older adults might suffer ill side effects from the removal surgery and run the risk of experiencing more complications afterward.
You may be one of those lucky people whose wisdom teeth never even develop, but when you reach age 17 and feel something happening in the back of your mouth, you had better make a dentist appointment right away!