If your wisdom teeth don’t cause any problems, you’ll probably never even think about them. However, as soon as wisdom teeth start to cause pain or discomfort, they may be all you think about.
Problematic wisdom teeth can make it very difficult for you to get through your daily routine. Our Glendale dentists are here to advise you on what you should do about your emerging wisdom teeth.
Most patients don’t start to see or feel their wisdom teeth until they are in their early twenties. Wisdom teeth emerge behind your second molars, and, frankly, many people do not have enough rooms in their mouths for these teeth to sit comfortably in the smile.
Additionally, wisdom teeth often come in at odd angles, rather than emerging straight up through the gum tissue. Your wisdom teeth may come in sideways—toward the front or back of your smile—or slantwise—toward your existing teeth.
All of these issues can cause a number of serious problems:
· An increase in dental cavities, because hard-to-reach wisdom teeth are very difficult to keep clean
· Chronic bad breath, especially if partially emerged wisdom teeth are collecting odorous oral bacteria
· Jaw pain and tightness
· Dental misalignment, because wisdom teeth put pressure on your existing smile and cause your teeth to shift
· Periodontal disease, which can even spread to the jawbone
The good news is that timely wisdom tooth extraction can help you avoid many of these issues in the short and long terms. If you have questions about how your wisdom teeth are emerging (or failing to emerge) you can always ask our Glendale dentists about it—we’ll give you recommendations about how you should proceed.
Just call our dental office if you any questions or if you’d like to schedule a consultation!