Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal.
Typically, wisdom teeth are removed in young adults and teenagers as a precaution against pain and other issues wisdom teeth can cause. The most common reasons for removing wisdom teeth:
Your wisdom teeth become impacted.
We have room for about 28 teeth in our mouths, which is the number of teeth you have before your wisdom teeth come in. When you add your four wisdom teeth, you have 32 teeth all trying to fit into the confined amount of space available in your jaw. When the jaw isn’t large enough, the wisdom teeth can become impacted, which means they are either unable to fully mature or they become misaligned.
You experience chronic pain in your gums near your wisdom teeth.
This can be a sign of infection that can occur from partially erupted wisdom teeth. When food and bacteria get trapped in these areas, it can lead to a very painful infection known as pericoronitis.
Your wisdom teeth misalign the rest of your teeth.
If your wisdom teeth come in fully, but come in sideways, they can cause your other teeth to shift and move over time. There is also a chance that poorly aligned wisdom teeth can damage the surrounding teeth.
A cyst forms around the wisdom tooth.
This occurs when the sac next to the tooth becomes filled with fluid. When this happens, it can destroy the surrounding structures such as bone or tooth roots.
If you think you may need to remove your wisdom teeth call our office today at (562) 434-6414 to schedule an appointment.
