Did your dentist just suggest you have your wisdom teeth removed? Do you wonder why? In rare cases, a person’s mouth can accommodate wisdom teeth without any issues. More often than not, however, wisdom teeth can cause problems such as crowding and pain. Here are six reasons your dentist may suggest you have your wisdom teeth removed.
Crowding
Wisdom teeth can grow in at the wrong angle. As these crooked teeth grow, they can push other teeth together and cause crowding and may even cause teeth to overlap suddenly. This may result in needing orthodontics, or worse: make teeth more difficult to clean. Crowded teeth are more difficult to clean and offer more spaces for bacteria to thrive and calculus to form. This can lead to oral infections, gum disease, or cysts that can damage other teeth and the jaw. Removing wisdom will prevent further complications.
Pain
Pain or tenderness in the back of the mouth may mean your wisdom teeth are coming in. If they are already in, the pain may mean there is a problem. If the pain is persistent, the dentist can assess the situation. If the pain is from a cavity, the dentist may try to treat the cavity instead of remove the tooth. Either treatment will help preserve the integrity of not only the teeth, but also the jaw.
Cysts (Fluid-filled Sacs)
Cysts, or fluid-filled sacs, can form around impacted wisdom teeth which can eventually grow into benign tumors. If you notice a cyst in your mouth, visit your dentist as soon as possible.
Inflammation or Infection
Partial eruption of a wisdom tooth can result in inflammation and infection of the surrounding gums. Impacted wisdom teeth can also cause inflammation and infection that affect your lymph nodes and cause sore throats. Inflammation and infection make it hard to eat and chew. They may also make it difficult to talk because of bad breath, pain, and irritation. If your wisdom teeth are causing these problems, most likely they will need to be removed.
Sinus Issues
If you have wisdom teeth on your upper jaw, they may irritate your sinuses if they are pushing or rubbing against your sinuses. Removing wisdom teeth that irritate sinuses can help relieve congestion, headaches and sinus pressure.
Earaches
Wisdom teeth can also cause earaches. Mouth pain can radiate outward and cause you to feel pain in your ears. If you have ear pain that cannot be explained another way, consider letting the dentist take a look. Most likely, removal of the troublesome wisdom teeth will relieve this pain.
For more information on removing wisdom teeth, call Jonny Fisher, DDS, at (509) 383-8300 to reach our office in Pullman, Washington.
