What Are the Signs You Need Wisdom Teeth Removal?
/What Are the Signs You Need Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Your Teeth Are Growing Increasingly Crowded
If you have noticed your teeth gradually becoming crooked, or if there is a gap in your teeth that is closing on its own, it might be time to look into the option of wisdom teeth removal. The problem with wisdom teeth is that they don’t care if there’s enough room in your mouth for them. If there isn’t room, they’ll make room by shoving your other teeth to the side as they come up.
This can also be caused by wisdom teeth growing in sideways or at an angle. Even if you can’t see your wisdom teeth, they could be hidden under the surface of your gums and pushing your other teeth from below. In addition to causing crooked or tightly packed teeth, this can misalign your jaw and cause your teeth and jaw to feel sore or tense.
What Are the Risks of Over-crowded Teeth?
Teeth that are packed too tightly together are harder to clean. It makes it harder for a toothbrush to really get in there and dislodge the plaque that develops between your teeth. It can even make it harder to floss, which can leave bits of hidden food between your teeth. This can eventually lead to cavities developing, as dental hygiene becomes increasingly difficult.
If teeth begin to overlap, this furthers the issue. The overlapping section of the teeth will be very difficult to clean on your own. As the teeth are pushed out of place, your jaw alignment may follow suit. A misaligned jaw can cause headaches or earaches, and sometimes even tinnitus, a “ringing” in your ears.
Crowded Teeth Could Cost You More in the Long Run
By having problematic wisdom teeth removed in time, you can not only potentially prevent some of these symptoms, but it could also save you money in the future. If your wisdom teeth are pushing the rest of your pearly whites around, you may eventually need braces or other treatments to undo the damage.
One or More of Your Wisdom Teeth Never Showed Up
Unless you’re one of the lucky few who was born without wisdom teeth, you may have an impacted tooth if you’re not seeing your final molars by an age where you really should have seen them by now. An impacted tooth is at an increased risk of a cyst developing around the impaction. Depending on where the cyst appears, it could potentially damage the bone that supports your teeth, or the roots of your other molars.
These cysts are not always visible, so an impacted wisdom tooth should always be carefully monitored. There are four common kinds of wisdom tooth impaction, and your tooth doesn’t have to be completely hidden in order to be impacted.
Mesial Impaction
A mesial impaction means the tooth is coming in at an angle towards the front of the mouth. It almost had the right direction, but is off just enough to be pushing against its neighboring tooth as it attempts to surface. It may be angled to the point where you never see it, or you may see a part of it peek out from under your gums.
One of the concerns with a mesial impaction is an angled tooth can be harder to clean, which can increase your risk of gingivitis or cavities. It can also weaken your other teeth if it pushes against them.
Horizontal Impaction
A horizontally impacted wisdom tooth didn’t get the right idea at all. It will be growing completely sideways, parallel to the jaw. You might be able to see the side of the tooth, but this kind of impaction might never surface from the gums.
This kind of impaction has the potential to damage the root structure of your other teeth. This can lead to an increased risk of root reabsorption, periodontal disease, or tooth loss in the future.
Vertical Impaction
This tooth had the right idea, it’s positioned straight up and is growing in the right direction. However, if there isn’t enough room for it to erupt fully, or at all, the growth will be halted.
This tooth may be fine, as long as it isn’t putting pressure underneath its neighboring molar, and as long as it can be cleaned well if any of it has reached the surface. It’s worth having your dentist monitor it closely so you can make the right call on whether or not the tooth is going to cause problems in the future.
Distal Impaction
When it comes to a distal impaction, the tooth has decided to go its own way, angled off from the other teeth. You’d think this wouldn’t cause any problems, but as this tooth grows away from its neighboring molar, the root of the wisdom tooth may interfere with the root of your other molar.
Tooth Pain Around the Wisdom Tooth Area
Tooth pain can be caused by many different things, such as cavities, infection, or a tooth injury. While it’s important to rule out other potential causes, there are some signs that your tooth pain may be related to your wisdom teeth. Some of these signs include:
Pain in the back of your gums and jaw
A dull ache around your wisdom teeth, or where they should be
Pain coupled with swelling around your wisdom tooth area
Discomfort while chewing
Any sort of tooth pain is a sign that something needs to be addressed. The earlier you get your symptoms looked into, the better.
Stiffened or Uncomfortable Jaw
Tooth pain and jaw pain often go hand in hand. As teeth are pushed out of place, the jaw’s structure can be affected. Symptoms of a wisdom tooth problem can display as the jaw no longer feeling “right.” Does your jaw feel misaligned when you hold your mouth shut? Have you noticed a developing overbite, underbite, or crossbite? Your wisdom teeth may be to blame.
Consistently Bad Breath, or a Weird Taste in Your Mouth
Upon the discovery of bad breath, many people try to remedy it by a quick brushing or by popping in a mint or a stick of gum. We would caution you not to ignore this sign for too long. If a dentist rules out other possible causes of bad breath, it could indicate an infected or decaying wisdom tooth, especially if it is paired with other symptoms.
It can be hard to tell on your own if your breath is less than ideal, so another helpful symptom you can look out for is if you’ve noticed a consistent sour taste in your mouth. This is another sign that you may want to look into wisdom teeth removal, as it can indicate a brewing problem.
Wisdom Teeth Are Great at Trapping Bacteria
While they’re supposed to help us chew, a problematic wisdom tooth tends to be good at all the wrong things. One of the ways bacteria gets trapped around wisdom teeth is when they are partially covered by your gums. It’s common to have a small flap of gums covering the wisdom teeth, and that creates a perfect bacteria pocket, which can increase symptoms such as bad breath.
There is Damage To the Neighboring Teeth
When a wisdom tooth begins to damage the rest of your teeth, it may be time to consider wisdom teeth removal. While it is possible to spot some signs of damage, such as cavities or shifting teeth, a lot of the damage can be hidden under the gums. Without professional tools to see what’s going on under the surface, you’ll be dependent on non-visual symptoms to guess whether or not your other teeth are being affected.
Rather than rely on guesswork, we encourage anyone who is concerned about their teeth to get the issue looked into right away. If nothing ends up being amiss, you’ll have peace of mind. If there is a problem, getting it checked out right away could save you a worse headache in the future.
Wisdom Teeth FAQ
1. Do Wisdom Teeth Always Need To Be Removed?
Not necessarily. If there’s enough room in your mouth for them, and they arrive on schedule and straight, you might just be able to keep your final set of molars. Making the choice of whether or not to have your wisdom teeth removed can be a tough call.
Sharing your concerns with a qualified dentist can help you both figure out whether or not you can wait to see if the teeth are going to come in nicely. If a dentist notices that the wisdom teeth are already crooked under the surface, they may recommend a preventative removal before the teeth even attempt to emerge.
2. When Do Wisdom Teeth Usually Show Up?
Wisdom teeth will usually make, or attempt to make, their entrance when you are between the ages of 17 and 21. Sometimes, however, they don’t show up until you’re 25 or even a bit older. If you are 25 or older and haven’t seen your final set of molars show up, it might be time to look into whether or not you have one or more impacted wisdom teeth.
3. Are There Any Risks Related To Keeping Wisdom Teeth?
If your wisdom teeth have already shown up and seem to be behaving themselves, keeping them should be fine as long as you can keep them clean. They are generally the most difficult teeth to clean, being the furthest back and the hardest to reach. We recommend keeping an eye on them to watch for signs of cavities or infection.
A consultation with the right dentist Dr. Cajee can help you make the call that’s best for you and your oral health. Oral health is more than just your smile; having good oral hygiene is vital for the health of your whole body, and is often thought to protect your heart and respiratory system as well.
Take the Right Steps To Protect Your Smile
If you have concerns regarding your wisdom teeth, our compassionate and experienced team is ready to help. We believe in putting your comfort and confidence first, and take great pride in our quality of care and the relationship we have with our clients. Contact Mas’ood Cajee DDS MPH in Manteca, CA today to set up your consultation!
