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What are Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

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Impacted wisdom teeth are third molars at the back of the mouth that don't have enough room to emerge or develop normally. Impacted wisdom teeth can result in pain, damage to other teeth and other dental problems. In some cases, impacted wisdom teeth may cause no apparent or immediate problems. But because they're hard to clean, they may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease than other teeth are.Impacted wisdom teeth should always be removed.

Experiencing any of the following symptoms? 

Give us a call.

Impacted wisdom teeth don't always cause symptoms. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, damages other teeth or causes other dental problems, you may experience some of these signs or symptoms:

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  • Redness and inflammation around the wisdom tooth

  • Pain around area of wisdom tooth

  • Halitosis (bad breath)

  • Unpleasant taste due to discharge (pus formation)

  • Difficulty opening your mouth

  • Headaches (spatially the top wisdom teeth)

The Domino Effect

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Impacted wisdom teeth can cause several problems in the mouth:

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  • Damage to other teeth. If the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the second molar or increase the risk of infection in that area. This pressure can also cause problems with crowding of the other teeth or require orthodontic treatment to straighten other teeth.

  • Cysts. The wisdom tooth develops in a sac within the jawbone. The sac can fill with fluid, forming a cyst that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves. Rarely, a tumor — usually noncancerous (benign) — develops. This complication may require removal of tissue and bone.

  • Decay. Partially impacted wisdom teeth appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay (caries) than other teeth. This probably occurs because wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because food and bacteria get easily trapped between the gum and a partially erupted tooth.

  • Gum disease. The difficulty cleaning impacted, partially erupted wisdom teeth increases the risk of developing a painful, inflammatory gum condition called pericoronitis in that area.

Tooth Removal

 

During an extraction Dr. Alzate,

 

1. Makes an (flap) incision in the back where wisdom tooth is located

2. Raises the flap

3. Surrounding bone removal, thus uncovering the tooth

4. Splits tooth and removes coronal area

5. Root removal, making sure nothing is left behind

6. Suture placement

The following information was obtained from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/basics/definition/con-20026676

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