Impacted Wisdom Teeth

The third molars are called “wisdom teeth.” Usually, they come in between the teen years and early twenties. There are four wisdom teeth that are on each side of your upper and lower jaw. One or two may not develop at all or become impacted. Impacted means that the wisdom tooth is trapped underneath the gum and bone tissue. Impacted teeth often cause other teeth to shift and usually need to be extracted. Your dentist can tell if these teeth are coming in properly by looking at x-rays taken over time.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth Fort Worth Arlington

Learn More About Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Impacted Wisdom Teeth may lead to: 

Infections: Frequent infections surrounding the impacted wisdom tooth can occur due to the inability to clean the area properly or the constant irritation of surrounding teeth and gums.

Cyst formation: Non-infectious complications like tumors may develop in the form of fluid-filled balloons inside the jawbone. These can slowly expand and destroy adjacent jawbones. 

Crowding of teeth: Misaligned wisdom teeth cause the teeth to crowd after braces in early adulthood. Dr. Sonneveld can determine if the teeth are likely to get crowded due to the wisdom teeth and recommend removing the latter to avoid potential issues. Damage to adjacent teeth: If the second molar cannot be cleaned properly due to an impacted third molar (the impacted wisdom tooth), it may lead to gum diseases and loss of bone surrounding the teeth.

There are several benefits to having your impacted wisdom teeth removed: 

– Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain and discomfort.
– Impacted wisdom teeth can cause other teeth to shift.
– Impacted wisdom teeth can affect your speech and how you chew and bite down on food.
– Impacted wisdom teeth may need to be removed if they become infected or cause other dental problems.
– The roots of wisdom teeth grow longer, and the jawbone becomes denser with age. When impacted wisdom teeth must be extracted in your thirties, forties, or later, the post-surgical recovery time can be extended, and there is an increased incidence of complications. Treating these issues may be more difficult and less predictable. Your surgeon may advise you to remove the impacted tooth during early adulthood (even though you may not be experiencing any discomfort associated with it) so any future challenges are avoided.

Impacted wisdom tooth removal is a relatively minor surgical procedure, but it’s still surgery. Read more about the procedure and aftercare here:

Wisdom Teeth Removal and Aftercare

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