Extracting teeth is viewed as a last resort in modern dentistry and usually only occurs as a result of chronic disease or trauma. One clear exception to this is the removal of our wisdom teeth, known dentally as our third molars.
Wisdom teeth usually don’t “erupt” through the gums until we’re teenagers or in our twenties. They are usually the last teeth to come into our mouth. The majority of us have four wisdom teeth. Quite often, there is little space at the rear of the jaw for wisdom teeth to come easily through the gums. If the jaw does not have enough room for the wisdom tooth to come through, the tooth will become wedged or impacted.
Some impacted wisdom teeth remain buried and cause no trouble. However, other impacted wisdom teeth may cause problems.
Removal of a wisdom tooth is a common procedure and troublesome wisdom teeth should be removed as soon as possible before the problems get worse.
An impacted wisdom tooth will start to push through the gum and an infection can start around the top of the tooth. Infection and inflammation can cause pain, swelling and jaw stiffness. Swallowing may be painful and the infection can cause bad breath.
If a wisdom tooth is not removed, a cyst can form around the tooth and may displace the tooth. This can destroy bone and damage other teeth and the gums. An impacted wisdom tooth may keep pushing the molar next to it. This can cause an erosion cavity where the wisdom tooth hits the other molar. This often leads to serious damage to both teeth. The molars may become infected or abscessed. Removal of both molars is often needed.
An upper wisdom tooth may push sideways out of the gum. It may cause an ulcer where it rubs against the inside of the cheek. Food can also become trapped between the wisdom tooth and the molar next to it. This can cause cavities in both teeth.
