Did you know that 35% of the population never develops wisdom teeth? They might be more highly evolved than the rest of the population, and/or it’s an indication that we are on track as humans to lose wisdom teeth altogether as our evolved jaws just don’t have space for it anymore.
Either way, the fact that they don’t have to deal with wisdom teeth removal is a blessing that a lot of us don’t have. If you see one or more of your wisdom teeth coming in and you are wondering whether you should get them removed, keep reading to find out what are some signs that indicate you should.
1. No More Room for Your Wisdom Tooth to Grow in
Unless your wisdom teeth are causing you issues, you don’t actually need to do anything about them. They can sit around in the back of your mouth helping you chew and masticate food. BUT, if you notice that your jaw doesn’t have enough room for your wisdom teeth to come out, you need to prepare for a wisdom tooth removal.
When wisdom teeth don’t have enough room to grow in, they are called impacted teeth. And they can start growing in wrong, in weird directions, which can lead to discomfort and pain.
2. Pain in Your Jaw
The structural integrity of your jaw depends on all your teeth (including your wisdom teeth) growing properly. If your wisdom teeth grow in wrong or start pushing the other teeth around, that can affect the integrity, strength, and health of your jaw.
That’s one reason why it’s so important to get regular X-ray scans of your mouth at your dentist. This way you will be informed immediately if your jaw is having issues. You might also notice difficulties opening your mouth or a stiff jaw when you have impacted wisdom teeth.
3. Sinus Issues
If you have wisdom teeth appearing in your top jaw, this could affect your sinuses, as your sinuses are very close to the upper wisdom teeth. The wisdom teeth might rub or push against your sinuses causing issues. You might have assumed that your sinus issues were due to some other reason, but if you have impacted wisdom teeth, they are likely the culprit.
You can ease sinus issues like sinus pressure, congestion, and headaches through a wisdom tooth removal process.
4. Cyst Growth around Your Wisdom Tooth
Cysts are tiny sacs of liquid that can grow around your impacted wisdom teeth and cause damage not only to your teeth but also to your jaw. Do not ignore any pain or discomfort that you might experience in your mouth. Get over your fear of dentists and get your mouth checked out immediately. You do not want the cysts to grow into something worse, like benign tumors.
5. Inflammation and Infection
If your wisdom tooth has only partially erupted, it could result in an infection of the gum tissue surrounding it. Not only that but impacted wisdom teeth can also cause an inflammation of the lymph nodes and increase your frequency of sore throats. You might find it difficult to do daily activities like chewing, eating, and talking.
That’s why it’s so important to go to a dentist right away when you have any pain in your mouth or jaw. This is even more true when you notice pus drainage in your mouth due to inflammation or infection.
6. Bad Breath
You might be doing your best with oral hygiene, flossing and brushing twice a day and staying away from sugary drinks, and still have bad breath. This could be due to your impacted wisdom teeth, rather than poor oral hygiene. The problem with wisdom teeth is that they always erupt in hard-to-reach areas, in the back of your mouth, where bacteria can fester as cleaning is harder.
No matter how hard you try to clean the back of your mouth, it’s impossible to get it all. If food or other particles get stuck in and around your impacted wisdom teeth, that can cause infection or inflammation. It can also cause you to have a bad taste in your mouth all the time!
This is worse if you are a smoker, drink or eat a lot of sugar, and are poor at oral hygiene.
7. Impact on or Damage to Other Teeth
The problem with impacted wisdom teeth is that they affect and infect every other tooth around them. They can spread bacteria and cavities to other teeth as well. Not only that but impacted wisdom teeth can also cause other teeth to move around in unwanted ways because they are trying to accommodate the wisdom teeth.
Your perfect smile could be ruined by impacted wisdom teeth, leading to an overbite or underbite. And if you know anything about the human body is that nothing in it is compartmentalized. If your mouth is infected, this could lead to the infection spreading to other parts of your body as well. That could be dangerous in so many different ways.
Wisdom Teeth Removal Prevents Worse Problems in the Future
The good thing about wisdom teeth removal is that the earlier you do it, the easier it is on your jaw and mouth. The older you are when getting a wisdom tooth removal procedure, the harder it will be as the wisdom teeth roots are stronger and are more firmly structured into your jaw.
Either way, if you are interested in getting your wisdom teeth removed, contact Jenkins, Morrow & Gayheart Oral and Maxillofacial surgery today. Their compassion for you and your needs and their individualized attention will get you the care you deserve. Dealing with impacted wisdom teeth isn’t easy, but they are here to help make it as easy as possible.
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