Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the rear molars that erupt last, sometime around the late teens or early 20s. There are normally two wisdom teeth in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw, but some people have fewer than four or even none at all. Wisdom teeth can cause various oral health or dental problems, including overcrowding and impaction. Common problems associated with impacted wisdom teeth include gum infections and tooth decay.

Impaction is where the wisdom tooth erupts at an angle and either butts into the next-door tooth (hard impaction) or the gum (soft impaction). A wisdom tooth that grows on an angle can’t contribute to chewing, which makes it useless and painful. It is sometimes recommended that problematic wisdom teeth be removed. X-rays taken while the teeth are still emerging can show whether or not they will cause difficulties.

Symptoms
The symptoms of an infection caused by a wisdom tooth include:

• Reddened, inflamed gum alongside the wisdom tooth
• Swelling
• Pain
• Pus coming from the gum line
• The lymph glands under the jaw become sore
• It may become difficult to open the mouth and to swallow
• Fever.

Please contact your local 1300SMILES dentist urgently if experience any of these symptoms. A treatment plan can be arranged to treat the problematic tooth as swiftly and painlessly as possible.