Not all wisdom teeth must be removed. If there is adequate space in the very rear of the mouth to allow the third molars to erupt properly, there may be little reason to have them extracted. Unfortunately for millions of patients, the wisdom teeth create more risks than benefits. To avoid complications to both your dental health as well as your overall health, these teeth must be evaluated regularly and removed whenever necessary.
An impacted wisdom tooth, one of the most common dental conditions, occurs when the tooth becomes trapped beneath the gum tissue or bone. The condition must typically be diagnosed with the help of dental x-rays, and then extracted as soon as possible.
Problematic wisdom teeth just don’t go away without professional dental treatment. The most ideal timeframe for having the wisdom teeth removed is during your teens or early twenties. Ignoring your dentist’s recommendation for extraction, or postponing your treatment can lead to a long list of complications that most patients would simply rather avoid.
For many patients, pain would seem to be the most troublesome consequence of an undiagnosed or untreated impacted wisdom tooth. You may be surprised to learn that many wisdom tooth-related problems are not painful at all, though they are still detrimental to your health.
There is a strong risk of damage to the neighboring teeth. An impacted tooth may press against the root or the crown of an adjacent tooth and cause irreversible damage. Portions of the tooth may become fractured, a cavity may develop, or a localized infection within the gums can occur.
When a pocket or cyst develops within the bone surrounding an impacted tooth, the damage may include bone loss, a cyst, or an abscess.
It’s not too late to have your impacted wisdom teeth extracted, but it would certainly be more reasonable to make a proactive decision about oral surgery rather than suffer unnecessary discomfort or damage. To schedule an evaluation, call the Charlottesville VA office of Dr. Carlos Rafael Ibañez at 434-295-0911 today.