The wisdom teeth are the final set of molars at the end of each arch of teeth. Wisdom teeth usually come out during the late teens or early 20s, and they can offer some functional benefits if they’re healthy, but they’re usually misaligned and necessitate wisdom teeth removal. Since wisdom teeth erupt late, your jaw may not have enough space to accommodate them, leading to overcrowding, impacted wisdom teeth, and other problems. That’s why you may need a wisdom tooth extraction.

At Sapphire Smiles, we believe every tooth is precious and do our best to save all of them. In some situations, however, preserving a tooth may be detrimental to your overall oral health. That’s precisely the case with impacted wisdom teeth, which can damage your gum tissues, bone structure, and the surrounding teeth. Our dentist will carefully examine your wisdom tooth to determine if a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and we provide some of the most painless wisdom teeth removal procedures. Please continue reading to learn more about wisdom teeth removal.

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Identifying an Impacted Wisdom Tooth

Impacted wisdom teeth may erupt partially, or grow at an angle against another tooth, angle backward from the mouth, grow at a right angle with the surrounding teeth, or remain trapped within a jawbone. Unless the wisdom tooth erupts completely and in perfect alignment with your other teeth, it’s an impacted wisdom tooth that can potentially harm the surrounding teeth and gums.

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Impacted Wisdom Teeth Symptoms

  • Redness and swelling around the gums
  • Tender gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Jaw pains around the wisdom teeth
  • Swollen jaws
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Unpleasant taste in the mouth
  • Difficulty while opening or closing your mouth
  • Difficulty with jaw movements

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Benefits of Removing Wisdom Teeth

  • Protect Surrounding Teeth: The wisdom tooth may grow at an angle against the second molars. Over time, as the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the molars and increase the risk of infection. As such, wisdom tooth removal can protect your surrounding teeth.
  • Prevent or Treat Overcrowding: Your wisdom tooth may not erupt correctly if your jaws don’t have enough space to accommodate the new tooth. As such, your wisdom tooth will push against the second molar, which will eventually lead to overcrowding of your entire teeth. Overcrowding can lead to several orthodontic issues.
  • Prevent Gum Disease: It’s incredibly difficult to thoroughly clean impacted or partially-erupted wisdom teeth. No matter how hard you try, you can’t reach them easily, which leads to plaque and tartar accumulation. Over time, plaque and tartar lead to bacterial decay and gum disease. The resultant periodontitis (advanced gum disease) affects your overall oral health, corrupting your gums and bone tissues.
  • Prevent Cyst Formation: Partially erupted or impacted wisdom teeth may develop a pus-filled sac within the jawbone that damages your jaws, teeth, and nerves. The cyst may also lead to a noncancerous tumor that may lead to severe complications.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Procedure

  • Simple Wisdom Tooth Extraction Procedure: Simple extraction is only possible for regular wisdom teeth being removed preemptively. The dentist will numb the area with local anesthesia, loosen the tooth using a device called an elevator, and use dental forceps for tooth extraction.
  • Surgical Wisdom Tooth Extraction Procedure: Surgical extraction is necessary for impacted wisdom teeth. The dentist will numb the area or provide sedation, following which they’ll create incisions on the gum tissues to remove some of the surrounding bone tissues. Once the wisdom tooth is sufficiently loosened, the dentist will extract it with dental forceps. Finally, the dentist will suture up the incisions on the gum tissue.

Wisdom teeth may cause unbearable pain. If you are in dental pain, book your appointment today.

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Wisdom Teeth Removal Q&As

What happens if you have a decaying wisdom tooth?

Wisdom teeth are susceptible to dental decay and gum disease because they’re positioned at the back of your teeth, making them hard to reach. The continued accumulation of plaque and tartar can lead to bacterial decay, which may eventually lead to periodontitis and dental abscess, which can damage your jawbone, gums, and surrounding teeth.

Should I extract all 4 wisdom teeth?

If all of your wisdom teeth are impacted, you need to get all four wisdom teeth removed. However, your wisdom teeth removal dentist may also recommend extraction for all wisdom teeth even if they’re not currently causing problems. That’s because wisdom teeth improve the risk of gum disease, and most wisdom teeth eventually need to be removed anyway. As such, your dentist may recommend removing all your wisdom teeth preemptively — to prevent them from harming your oral health in the future.

Is it necessary to extract a wisdom tooth?

Impacted wisdom teeth have to be removed because they can harm your overall oral health, including your gums and surrounding teeth. However, if your wisdom teeth are perfectly upright and functional, you may not need a wisdom tooth extraction. You should defer to your wisdom teeth removal dentist’s advice.

Do you need surgery on a fully impacted wisdom tooth?

Yes, impacted wisdom teeth need surgical extraction because they’re often lodged within the jawbone. As such, the dentist will need to surgically remove some of the surrounding bones to loosen up the tooth and remove it.

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Contact Our Wisdom Teeth Removal Dentist at Sapphire Smiles, Houston Heights

Sapphire Smiles is a highly-reputable dental clinic in Houston Heights, specializing in the latest and safest restorative dentistry procedures. During your consultation, our dentist will examine your wisdom teeth to determine if they’re impacted and need extraction. We use local anesthesia and sedation dentistry to ensure the wisdom tooth removal procedure is painless and comfortable. For more information, please contact our wisdom teeth removal dentist at Sapphire Smiles, Houston Heights.

 

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