Dental Care for All of Us

If your wisdom teeth start to have issues, your dentist is likely to suggest that they be extracted. Here are a few conditions that may occur with your wisdom teeth:

Jaw or Tooth Pain

Your wisdom teeth, which present during your teen years or early adulthood, may cause discomfort as they erupt. The gums around the wisdom teeth may become swollen and sore as the emerging teeth exert pressure upon them.

Although some discomfort usually accompanies the eruption of teeth, pain associated with wisdom teeth may be more severe and can be present even after the teeth have broken through the gums.

A wisdom tooth that has partially or fully emerged from the gums may be more susceptible to painful dental decay because of its positioning in the back of the mouth. A wisdom tooth may be too difficult to reach properly using a standard toothbrush. In addition, it may be virtually impossible to floss around a wisdom tooth because the string may not easily fit around the tooth.

Pain may also occur because the wisdom tooth is placing a great amount of pressure on adjacent teeth. This pressure can be enough to shift nearby teeth out of alignment.

Oral Infections and Inflammation

A dental infection may occur as decay allows the entrance of oral bacteria into the interior chambers of a wisdom tooth. However, a gum infection may also occur.

In many cases, a wisdom tooth is only partially erupted. This means that a portion of the tooth crown is visible, but the remaining part of the tooth is covered by the surrounding gums. The guns that overhang a part of the wisdom tooth may form a pocket that traps particles of food and other debris. As a result, the gums around wisdom teeth may quickly become inflamed or infected.

It can be difficult to avoid gum inflammation or a dental infection in a wisdom tooth. However, it may be helpful to use an oral irrigator to help clean the area. If a severe case of infection or inflammation occurs, professional dental help may be needed to eradicate the issue. Even if the situation subsides after having the area professionally cleaned at a dental office, recurring issues with the wisdom tooth are likely as long as the tooth remains in the mouth.

To learn more about wisdom teeth and to have your wisdom teeth assessed, schedule an appointment with a local dentist like Jeffrey N Kenney DDS.