Wisdom Teeth: What Exactly Are They And What Problems Will They Pose To You?
Wisdom teeth are known as "third molars," and generally develop in a person between the ages of 17 and 25, although approximately 25% to 35% of the population never develops wisdom teeth. For those that do develop them, there are a variety of possibilities and problems that can arise. Generally, individuals with wisdom teeth develop four of them, one in each corner of the mouth. If the four "third molars" grow in regularly alongside the other teeth, they are able to provide a healthy asset to the mouth. More often than not, however, wisdom teeth should be extracted because of problems and complications.
Impaction of the Wisdom Teeth
The word "impaction" is employed when discussing teeth in general which has failed to emerge into its expected position. The majority of wisdom teeth fall under this category, mostly because there isn't enough room in your jaw to accommodate the teeth. There are a few different types of impaction that dentists regularly see with wisdom teeth, and they all can come with their own range of problems for the individual living with them.
The problems of wisdom teeth impaction can either be mesial, vertical or horizontal, or distal. A horizontal impaction happens when the wisdom tooth grows in sideways, approximately ninety degrees in direction from the rest of the teeth. With a horizontal impaction, the wisdom tooth grows towards the rest of the teeth. A distal impaction takes place when the tooth grows in at approximately a forty-five degree angle, opposite the direction from the other teeth. Mesial impaction is the opposite of distal where the tooth is growing in towards the others. Finally, vertical impaction occurs when the tooth is growing upright.
The other major distinction of wisdom teeth impaction is whether it is a "bony" impaction or "soft tissue" impaction. A soft tissue impaction is the term that signifies your tooth has penetrated the bone but not the gums. A bony impaction, however, is a term that describes wisdom teeth if they are still encased in the jaw's bone.
Should You Remove Wisdom Teeth?
Aside from impaction, there are several other problems that may result if wisdom teeth are left inside your mouth. Although the age-old justification for the elimination of wisdom teeth is the misalignment or shifting of other teeth in your mouth if wisdom teeth are left to grow, some of these justifications are debatable and up for interpretation. It's certainly the truth that not every person's wisdom teeth need to be extracted. Indeed, all wisdom teeth don't cause problems simply by the very nature of developing.
Nonetheless, there are several very real justifications for getting wisdom teeth taken out if you're prompted to by your dentist. For example, pericoronitis is a condition in which an infection occurs in the tissues that surround the crown of the partially erupted wisdom tooth. Infection occurs mainly because of the presence of bacteria, which accumulates because it's extremely difficult to clean since the tooth is only partially erupted through the gums. Decreasing a person's chances of tooth decay or infection is a very good idea to help make sure you will not need further dental work or denture implants in the future.
Similar situations may also result in case your wisdom tooth reaches an increased risk for tooth decay. Some wisdom teeth are positioned such that, as with the case of pericoronitis, they're hard to clean and remove the plaque that forms. Like a regular tooth, the plaque that develops has a chance to become decay if undisturbed. For wisdom teeth, this can be a particularly detrimental problem since a dental filling may not adequately solve the problem.
A couple other complications that arise as a result of wisdom teeth being left inside the mouth include damage to neighboring teeth in addition to cysts and tumors that may develop. These are both uncommon occurrences, but nonetheless are possible with any set of wisdom teeth given the right circumstances.
Both severe and chronic pain may also be reasons for the removal of your wisdom teeth. Many people experience tremendous pain during the time when the tooth starts to erupt, which is perhaps one of the major reasons you might make an appointment with the dentist in the first place. Whether your wisdom teeth are erupting or not, they all have the potential to cause pain, whether that pain is caused by the damage the tooth does to other teeth inside your mouth, its malposition or for some other reason. In fact, a person with an impacted wisdom tooth might not only experience pain, but also bleeding and swelling, lower lip numbness or perhaps a persistent sinus opening.
Impaction of the Wisdom Teeth
The word "impaction" is employed when discussing teeth in general which has failed to emerge into its expected position. The majority of wisdom teeth fall under this category, mostly because there isn't enough room in your jaw to accommodate the teeth. There are a few different types of impaction that dentists regularly see with wisdom teeth, and they all can come with their own range of problems for the individual living with them.
The problems of wisdom teeth impaction can either be mesial, vertical or horizontal, or distal. A horizontal impaction happens when the wisdom tooth grows in sideways, approximately ninety degrees in direction from the rest of the teeth. With a horizontal impaction, the wisdom tooth grows towards the rest of the teeth. A distal impaction takes place when the tooth grows in at approximately a forty-five degree angle, opposite the direction from the other teeth. Mesial impaction is the opposite of distal where the tooth is growing in towards the others. Finally, vertical impaction occurs when the tooth is growing upright.
The other major distinction of wisdom teeth impaction is whether it is a "bony" impaction or "soft tissue" impaction. A soft tissue impaction is the term that signifies your tooth has penetrated the bone but not the gums. A bony impaction, however, is a term that describes wisdom teeth if they are still encased in the jaw's bone.
Should You Remove Wisdom Teeth?
Aside from impaction, there are several other problems that may result if wisdom teeth are left inside your mouth. Although the age-old justification for the elimination of wisdom teeth is the misalignment or shifting of other teeth in your mouth if wisdom teeth are left to grow, some of these justifications are debatable and up for interpretation. It's certainly the truth that not every person's wisdom teeth need to be extracted. Indeed, all wisdom teeth don't cause problems simply by the very nature of developing.
Nonetheless, there are several very real justifications for getting wisdom teeth taken out if you're prompted to by your dentist. For example, pericoronitis is a condition in which an infection occurs in the tissues that surround the crown of the partially erupted wisdom tooth. Infection occurs mainly because of the presence of bacteria, which accumulates because it's extremely difficult to clean since the tooth is only partially erupted through the gums. Decreasing a person's chances of tooth decay or infection is a very good idea to help make sure you will not need further dental work or denture implants in the future.
Similar situations may also result in case your wisdom tooth reaches an increased risk for tooth decay. Some wisdom teeth are positioned such that, as with the case of pericoronitis, they're hard to clean and remove the plaque that forms. Like a regular tooth, the plaque that develops has a chance to become decay if undisturbed. For wisdom teeth, this can be a particularly detrimental problem since a dental filling may not adequately solve the problem.
A couple other complications that arise as a result of wisdom teeth being left inside the mouth include damage to neighboring teeth in addition to cysts and tumors that may develop. These are both uncommon occurrences, but nonetheless are possible with any set of wisdom teeth given the right circumstances.
Both severe and chronic pain may also be reasons for the removal of your wisdom teeth. Many people experience tremendous pain during the time when the tooth starts to erupt, which is perhaps one of the major reasons you might make an appointment with the dentist in the first place. Whether your wisdom teeth are erupting or not, they all have the potential to cause pain, whether that pain is caused by the damage the tooth does to other teeth inside your mouth, its malposition or for some other reason. In fact, a person with an impacted wisdom tooth might not only experience pain, but also bleeding and swelling, lower lip numbness or perhaps a persistent sinus opening.
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