Not everyone is born with wisdom teeth. If you’re one of these folks, don’t worry, it’s not because you lack wisdom! You should actually consider yourself lucky. For the rest of us, growing wisdom teeth likely means that at some point, we’ll need to get them extracted. Some wisdom teeth will emerge without affecting the alignment of your teeth, and those might not need to be removed. But most of the time your wisdom teeth will become impacted before that, which could lead to some serious oral health problems if not dealt with promptly.
Reason To Smile is proud to serve the Salt Lake City area with a variety of dental services. If you’re concerned that your wisdom teeth might be impacted, Dr. Vernon and his experienced team can assess your symptoms and advise accordingly. Before calling our Salt Lake City office, keep reading to learn more about the warning signs of impacted wisdom teeth.
What Are Impacted Wisdom Teeth?
Impacted wisdom teeth can occur when the wisdom teeth, or third molars, don’t have enough room to emerge and develop normally. When impaction begins, they might not seem to cause any problems at first. But there are a number of complications that they can create for your oral health.
Partially emerged wisdom teeth are particularly challenging to clean, and can lead to gum infections, tooth decay, or gum disease if not dealt with properly. Further, impacted wisdom teeth can create oral misalignment, potentially creating discomfort in your jaw, or even TMJ. As such, it’s important to catch the signs of wisdom teeth impaction early so you can mitigate all of these symptoms.
4 Warning Signs of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
- Red, Swollen Gums: As the wisdom teeth fight to emerge, your gums will become irritated and possibly swollen.
- Jaw Pain: As wisdom teeth emerge, they can affect the alignment of your jaw, leading to potential discomfort, or in some cases even TMJ.
- Pressure, Pain In the Back the Mouth: The feeling of pressure is a common first sign that your wisdom teeth might be impacted.
- Bad Breath: Partially emerged wisdom teeth are hard to keep clean, and can invite plaque and bacteria to hide out in the back of your mouth, leading to bad breath.
When you encounter these warning signs, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can. They’ll be able to take an x-ray and advise accordingly as to whether it’s time to get your wisdom teeth extracted!
Give Reason To Smile a Call!
With regular checkups, we might be able to catch the signs of impacted wisdom teeth before they become uncomfortable! Call us today at (801) 618-3399 to schedule a consultation today. Or you can contact us here.
