If you’re in your late teens or early twenties, you probably haven’t thought about new teeth coming in for a number of years. You’re familiar with grade school children having missing baby teeth and those teeth eventually growing in, but you’re an adult!
However, you’re not done with new teeth quite yet. You still have your wisdom teeth, which are a third set of molars that come in around this time in your life.
Has your dentist mentioned that you need wisdom teeth removal? If so, you might be wondering why, especially if you’re not in pain. There are several reasons a dentist recommends getting these often-troublesome teeth removed.
Here’s what you need to know!
Wisdom Teeth Coming in Can Be Painful
If your wisdom teeth haven’t erupted yet but your dentist is already recommending removal, one reason to agree is that having wisdom teeth come in is often quite painful. You probably don’t remember your other adult teeth causing pain, but that’s because they came in where baby teeth already were.
When a baby teethes, they cry and chew on things due to the pain. The truth is that wisdom teeth, which are coming in where no teeth were before, can cause similar pain for several weeks. You may struggle to focus on schoolwork or your job until the teeth are fully in.
Wisdom Teeth Are Often Misaligned
One of the common problems with wisdom teeth is that they don’t grow at the correct angle and cannot erupt and take their place naturally in your mouth. Your dentist will be able to see this before it becomes painful and will recommend wisdom teeth surgery.
Misaligned wisdom teeth sometimes get trapped under the gum and cannot emerge at all. This can cause an infection or a painful cyst, or impact the health of other teeth. Other times, your wisdom teeth emerge only partway. This makes them hard to see and extremely difficult to clean, making gum disease or infection likely.
Finally, when wisdom teeth don’t come in properly, they can crowd or misalign other teeth in your mouth. This can cause pain or discomfort, make it hard to eat normally, and affect your speech.
Extraction When You’re Young is Easier and Less Painful
You may feel like an adult at 20, but your body is still changing. At this age, the roots of your teeth aren’t as deep as they eventually will be, and the bone of your jaw isn’t as dense as it will be when you’re older.
That means that wisdom teeth removal recovery is much easier if you’re under age 25. If you’re 30 or older, your recovery and healing time will be much longer and there is a higher risk of complications.
What to Expect During Surgery
You might wonder, is wisdom teeth removal painful? It depends on how the tooth is situated If the tooth has erupted, it can be pulled as easily as any other tooth. If it’s only partially erupted or is below the gum, you’ll have oral surgery.
These surgeries are done with a local anesthetic to numb the area, and if necessary a sedative such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or an IV sedative. This can reduce your anxiety and help you get through the process easily.
Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery
Once you’ve had the surgery, you may experience some bleeding and need moist gauze in the empty area where the tooth was extracted. You may also have swelling and need over-the-counter pain medication for a few days.
If you are prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection, be sure to follow the directions and take all of the medication. You will need a liquid diet or soft food for a few days, but avoid hot liquids and “sucking” through a straw or smoking, since that can damage the clots needed for healing.
You’ll also want to follow your dentist’s instructions for regular rinsing with saltwater and watching for complications. Full healing generally takes a few weeks, but your mouth will be much more comfortable within a week or two.
Troublesome Teeth Need Wisdom Tooth Extraction
While it’s a good idea to get wisdom teeth removed when you’re younger, you should still go through with the surgery regardless of your age if your wisdom teeth are causing problems.
If you have pain or frequent infections of your gums near your wisdom teeth, that’s a sign you need to have the surgery. Cyst, tumours, gum disease, and decay in the area are other reasons you’d have your wisdom teeth removed.
If your wisdom teeth are damaging nearby teeth, they should be removed so that you don’t have future problems with eating, speaking, or tooth loss. If you notice an infection, you should schedule infected wisdom tooth removal right away.
Because it’s so common for wisdom teeth to cause these kinds of issues, your dentist will generally recommend they be removed even if they aren’t (yet) causing any problems. The position of these teeth makes them hard to clean and a frequent place where you’ll have cavities and infections. There’s no reason to take the risk. Just get them removed!
Wisdom Teeth Can Cause Problems With Sinuses
You might not think of your teeth when you have pain or congestion in your sinuses, but it’s possible your wisdom teeth are to blame. If your teeth are impacted or having trouble coming in, they may be putting pressure on your sinus cavity.
Problems with your wisdom teeth can lead to sinus problems including congestion, sinus pressure, headaches, and other pain.
Don’t put off removing your wisdom teeth if they are causing problems with your health.
Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed Today
Wisdom teeth removal in Oakville doesn’t have to be a scary process. There are medications that help make the process less painful and you’ll generally recover in just a few weeks.
However, without wisdom teeth removal you may have a lot of pain and complications with your teeth. There’s a higher chance of cavities and infections, and it’s possible that your wisdom teeth will negatively affect your other teeth.
Don’t take the risk. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!