While some wisdom teeth can erupt safe and sound, most don’t get to enjoy that luxury. A person’s third molars are more likely to become impacted, causing health problems if left untreated. That means you should seriously consider tooth extraction as an ideal solution. In fact, your local oral surgeon will share key details to prove these claims further. Here are four health issues that come from impacted wisdom teeth and why they warrant tooth extraction.
Problems Caused by Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Without timely treatment, impacted wisdom teeth will cause long-term health problems. Some of the most common ones include:
Gum Disease
Because impacted wisdom teeth grow at odd angles, they’re often quite hard to clean. This difficulty can lead to a plaque buildup that causes gum disease near your third molars. The latter infection is called pericoronitis, which can slowly become more severe and spread to surrounding gum tissue. Leaving it unchecked will often result in full-blown periodontitis.
Oral Cysts & Tumors
When a wisdom tooth is impacted and doesn’t fully erupt, fluid can gather in a sac surrounding it. That fluid-filled sac would become a cyst that pushes against neighboring teeth, bones, and gums. Unless it’s dealt with properly, the cyst could then cause pain, jaw fractures, or even a tumor. That last problem is especially harsh, as it may force you to get tissue or bone removed.
Decay & Damage of Nearby Teeth
Plaque doesn’t just gather on the gums near an impacted wisdom tooth; it can also build up near said tooth’s enamel. Should that happen, the bacterial film could form into tartar and cause cavities in surrounding teeth. That decay would also put you at risk of tooth infections.
Why See a Dentist for Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
By having a dentist remove your impacted wisdom tooth (or teeth), you can avoid problems like those above. You’d then have better oral health than you’d have had otherwise.
The extraction would also be a smooth and pain-free process. To start it off, the treating dentist would numb your treatment site with local anesthesia. They’d then make an incision in your gum tissue, expose the tooth, and carefully remove your pearly white. Once those steps are done, the dentist cleans the site and stitches the wound (and even places gauze if needed).
To keep your smile safe, you need to deal with impacted wisdom teeth quickly. See your dental provider as soon as you can for treatment!
About the Practice
Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial, & Implant Surgery is based in three Virginia locations: Alexandria, Reston, and Burke. Led by an amazing team of oral surgeons, our practice works to keep every patient’s smile whole and thriving. We meet that goal through tooth extractions, dental implant placements, and other oral surgeries! At the same time, our office provides sedation services to ensure your treatment is smooth and comfy. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or call (571)-777-6501, (703)-736-1640, or (703)-425-5010.