Understanding Wisdom Teeth: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

 Wisdom teeth served our ancestors well, but in modern days, based on human evolution towards their soft diet and oral hygiene, they have become more of a problem instead of assisting us with chewing. Wisdom teeth are often unnecessary besides their important-sounding name, but they may cause you complications if your mouth has no room for them or they don’t come in straight. Therefore , it’s important to know the wisdom teeth symptoms and how to deal with them.

While some people develop all four wisdom teeth, others may not get them at all. Does everyone have wisdom teeth?

Complications of wisdom teeth

 Wisdom teeth usually appear in your late teens or early 20s, located in the back of your mouth. Most people have four of them, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw, but there are still exceptions. Meanwhile our jaws are meant for 28 teeth, wisdom teeth can cause crowded teeth and uneven spacing, leading to problems such as pain, infection, or damage to the jaw bone. However, they can lead to overcrowding, pain, and infection, especially if wisdom teeth don’t erupt properly.

Progress of wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth growth happens in stages, with different signs that you can notice.

• At first, they might start to erupt at an early age, like between 7-10  in the jawbone.
• After several years, they may fully emerge between the ages of 17-25.

Sometimes, they can push against existing teeth as they come through the gums.

Regular dental checkups help you track its progress. This prevents you from unwanted issues, even if they don’t cause any problems right away.

Signs and common symptoms

Growing wisdom teeth may come along with a wide range of complications and signs, and if we try to simplify them, here’s a few of them:

• Growing wisdom teeth can cause pain, swelling, and redness at the back of the mouth.
• They open a space for bacteria, leading to infection of your gums.
• Impacted teeth may get stuck under the jawbone or other teeth and cause harsh pain and infection if not treated.

 

Impacted wisdom teeth: common painful issues

Symptoms of wisdom tooth issues can involve painful complications, such as:

• Infection

Pericoronitis: redness of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom tooth

Abscess formation: a pocket of pus caused by bacterial infection
If left untreated, impacted teeth may cause serious infections, cysts, or damage to adjacent teeth.

• Damage to adjacent teeth 

Crowding: wisdom teeth push against other teeth, causing crooked teeth.

Alignment issues: wisdom teeth can disrupt the alignment of teeth, leading to orthodontic problems.

• Cysts and tumors 

Development of cysts: fluid-filled pockets around impacted wisdom teeth.

Rare occurrences of tumors : untreated cysts can lead to tumor formation in some cases.

Checking and assessing

If you find yourself facing symptoms, it’s essential to visit a dentist or oral surgeon for a check-up. They will carefully examine your mouth looking for signs such as redness, swelling or any other potential problems. To gain insight, they may recommend an X-ray to see the status of your wisdom teeth and determine if they are causing any issue. Your medical background and your symptoms will be concerned before the dentist or oral surgeon talks to you about what to do.

Treatment progress

The most common way to treat this problem is that you try to remove it. It can be done by your dentist or oral surgeon. It would be much easier if the teeth are fully grown, but if it’s impacted it gets complicated. Removing your wisdom teeth at an early age may prevent any further issues.

• When is Extraction Necessary?

 If you’re having pain near your teeth, repeated infections and cysts. However, an expert assessment could make you have a clearer picture of it.
Learn when wisdom teeth should be removed and explore the different extraction methods.

•  Types of Extraction

We’re going to summarize it into two categories; simple extraction and surgical.

Simple extraction happens when the teeth are fully visible and usually under local anesthesia.

Surgical extraction happens when the teeth can’t be accessed easily or they have been broken under the gumline.

• Post-Extraction Care

Control bleeding, manage pain and swelling, keep up with good oral hygiene, eat a soft diet and rest.

Preventive removal

As you know, having a wisdom tooth and removing it causes unnecessary expenses and pain and irreversible damage, but still there are some factors you need to consider like age, tooth development, symptoms of wisdom teeth, oral hygiene, risk tolerance and cost.

But there are pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Reduces the risk of future problems like impaction, overcrowding and infection.
2. Easier recovery and faster healing.
3. Prevents damage to other teeth and jawbone.

Cons:

1. Unnecessary surgery in some cases
2. Complications of surgery such as nerve damage, dry socket and infection may occur.
3. Financial considerations cause elective removal may not be covered by insurance.

Alternative treatment

Even though extraction is the most common treatment for wisdom teeth issues, if your dentist says it’s not necessary , there are some alternative treatments that may be considered.pain management options for wisdom teeth symptoms include over-the-counter medications, ice packs and saltwater rinses. Although regular dental check-ups with good oral hygiene helps you monitor it progress and maintain a healthy mouth.

Final thoughts on managing wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth once were helpful to our ancestors, but due to changes in our diet and oral health they can cause problems. They may lead to pain, infection and crowding , especially if they’re impacted. Recognizing the wisdom teeth symptoms early and addressing the problem as soon as possible is often the best option.While extraction is the common option , it’s important to consider the risks and benefits. The best recommendation is to keep up with dental check-ups and maintain good oral hygiene to  manage the discomfort.

FAQs

• How do I know if my wisdom teeth need to be removed? 

If you’re having pain, infection, crowding or other complications, a dental check-up confirms the issue .

• What is the recovery time for wisdom teeth extraction?

After surgery it may take 7 to 10 days for the swelling and 2 weeks to fully recover.

• Are there risks associated with wisdom teeth removal?

The procedure may cause temporary numbness, bleeding, and rarely permanent numbness or tooth damage.

• Can wisdom teeth grow back after extraction?

It’s possible for some people to have more than four wisdom teeth, but if you remove them all, there’s no way they can grow back.

•  What can I eat after having my wisdom teeth removed?

Eating soft foods such as soups, yogurt, and ice cream may help recovery easier and prevent infections.