The last set of teeth to erupt in the mouth, the wisdom teeth, can cause a bit of inconvenience for most dental patients. They do not tend to erupt at the same time as an adult set of teeth and so, there may not be room for them in your mouth. Especially if you have large molar teeth or simply have a small jaw.
At Epping High Dental, our dentist Lalor will be able to assess whether or not you will be able to keep your wisdom teeth and will always aim to avoid surgery if at all possible.
With this in mind, here are 5 common signs from our dentist Lalor that your wisdom teeth may need to be extracted.
Discomfort
If you notice you are having discomfort with your wisdom teeth in daily life or when eating food, you need to contact our dentist Lalor to organise a check-up. If your wisdom teeth have newly erupted, then some sensitivity is to be expected. However, if you have had them for a few months and the discomfort has not subsided, this can indicate an underlying issue with the nerves or inflammation which will need to be assessed.
Swelling
Swelling around the gums is not always due to gingivitis or infection. If you notice that the gum line around your newly erupted wisdom teeth is sensitive, weeks or even months after they have erupted, this can be a sign that these teeth will need to be removed. Why? Because there may be pockets around them which are causing bacteria to hide and cause inflammation, and even gum disease or recurring oral infections.
Headaches
Many people who have issues with their wisdom teeth also report having headaches or even migraines. This is because the wisdom teeth may be putting pressure on the nerves that connect the head to the neck. This can even extend to neck and shoulder pain in some instances. However, if you are suffering from more frequent headaches since your wisdom teeth erupted, this needs to be assessed by our dental team and we will determine whether or not it is in your best interest to remove these teeth.
Recurring infections
Nobody likes oral infections, but if our team notices that you are suffering from an excessive number of infections relating to your wisdom teeth, then this is indicative that there is an underlying problem. To preserve the health of your mouth, they will usually need to be removed.
Impaction
This is one of the most common reasons why our dental team will need to extract your wisdom teeth. An impacted tooth is in essence a tooth which is trying to erupt, but is not doing so at the correct angle. It is therefore putting pressure onto the nearby teeth from underneath the gum line. We will be able to determine if you have an impacted tooth using an X-ray and if the tooth has not completely erupted, we will need to use surgical extraction which is a bit more invasive but will alleviate the discomfort and remove the tooth.
DISCLAIMER
All treatments carry risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.