Typcially in the late teen and early twenties people will receive their wisdom teeth or 3rd molars as they are also called. These are the last mature teeth you will get in your life time. The problem is that most people do not have enough room in their mouth to fit these new teeth in without messing up their other teeth. When there is not enough room for the wisdom teeth they become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to a wide variety of serious health concerns.
Some people will have a mouth large enough to accommodate the late arriving teeth and not require any additional treatment. That is pretty rare though. With regular visits to your dentist you will be able to treat these teeth before they can become impacted but if not there are symptoms you will want to watch out for. A local long beach dentist shares with us the common symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth:
Infection- the 3rd molars cause crowding in the hard to reach back teeth making them hard to clean which commonly leads to decay and infection.
Pain- as these teeth cut through the gums and push on your existing teeth their will be pain.
Bleeding- blood from the teeth cutting through the gum tissue is very common.
Bad Breath- infection and trapped food debris will lead to a bad taste in your mouth and constant bad breath.
Swollen Gums- between infection and the emerging teeth your gums are likely to become swollen and tender.
Headaches- pressure from wisdom teeth will typically cause jaw pain and headaches.
Wisdom teeth can be removed before they have a chance to cause these and other serious oral health complications. One of the many benefits to having regular cleanings and oral exams with your dentist is that they will be able to spot the early stages of wisdom teeth formation. Get more information from a dentist in long beach.