3 Things To Know About Wisdom Teeth Removal

Are your wisdom teeth just starting to come in, and you're told by your dentist you need to remove them? Here are the things that you should know about getting this procedure done.

Wisdom Teeth Need To Be Removed When They Are Impacted

A common reason wisdom teeth need to be removed is that they are impacted. This is when the tooth is growing sideways and will actually push into the rear molar and cause dental problems. A dentist can typically tell in an x-ray if a wisdom tooth will be impacted, even if it is completely underneath the gum line. 

There are also several classifications of impacted teeth, with some being worse than others. A horizontal impaction is when the tooth grows completely sideways and will certainly run into the rear molars. A distoangular impaction happens when the tooth is growing towards the back of your mouth, and the roots of the tooth become impacted. Each type of impaction has its own risks and complications by letting the tooth continue to grow. 

The problem with impacted wisdom teeth is that they can cause other teeth to become misaligned as they slowly grow in and apply pressure to those rear molars. If the tooth has erupted past the gums, the weird angle can cause plaque to get trapped at the point where the teeth touch, which makes it hard to clean and more likely that tooth decay will form. 

Wisdom Teeth Need To Be Removed When They Cause Pain

If you have a wisdom tooth that is causing you pain, chances are that it is due to an infection and inflammation. If the infection continues to spread, it will eventually lead to facial swelling. You'll then need to get emergency treatment from your dentist to extract the tooth instead of taking care of it early before these other complications come up. 

Wisdom Teeth Removal Is A Low-Risk Procedure

You may have concerns about the risks of having your wisdom teeth removed if you feel it is not yet necessary. If this is the case, know that removing wisdom teeth is a relatively low-risk procedure. The complication that may happen is a dry socket, and that would only happen if the blood clot becomes dislodged by not following the specific aftercare instructions that are given to you. 

Since the complications of leaving your wisdom teeth in place are more likely to happen than a postoperative complication, it is in your best interest to remove the wisdom teeth.  

For more info, contact a local dentist.