Did you know more than 70% of people experience having at least one impacted wisdom tooth? Our office team treats many of these cases, so the high percentage doesn’t surprise us. However, it means it’s likely you will have to deal with your own impacted wisdom teeth at some point in your life.
Your wisdom teeth are the furthest in back, with one on the top and bottom, and on each side of your mouth. The teeth form as a child, but by the later teen years, the crown of a wisdom tooth can begin to erupt through the gums. By the mid-twenties, it may be fully erupted, or your wisdom tooth is considered impacted when blocked from growing into your mouth.
6 Common Warning Signs of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
We will always screen for wisdom teeth during your regular check-ups. But there’s six common warning signs you can watch for which may reveal you are dealing with impacted wisdom teeth:
- Pain or tenderness of the gums where the tooth is growing
- Pressure around the gum or molar area
- Swollen, red, or bleeding gums
- Bad breath odor, or taste in the mouth
- Swelling of the jaw
- Headaches
You may also experience a variety of stages as an impacted wisdom tooth tries to grow in, with the depth and direction affecting your mouth in different ways. We’ve seen many end up crooked, forcing the other teeth around it to shift, or even damaging the adjacent teeth. If left untreated, it can lead to damage of the adjacent tooth, and even loss of healthy teeth. Bacteria in your mouth will find its way under the tissue, causing pain at the crown of the tooth, even if the tooth isn’t visible. Impacted wisdom teeth also need to be monitored for cysts.
In the end, waiting too long can be more painful, dangerous, and expensive, while fixing impacted wisdom teeth is often a simple procedure. We are here to talk with you about it.