Wisdom teeth are the last to appear, usually during the late teens to mid-20s. Although it’s an exciting time, there are many things about wisdom teeth that you may not know, such as when they should be removed and what to expect from having them extracted! Here are a few things you didn’t know about wisdom teeth and what they can do to affect your oral health and quality of life.
What signs indicate an impacted wisdom tooth?
Impacted wisdom teeth can occasionally go unnoticed for long periods. Other times, the onset of symptoms may be gradual or rapid. Impacted wisdom teeth can be detected by:
- Your jaw or face may be hurting or swollen
- Gums that are red, swollen, or bleeding
- An unpleasant taste in your mouth
- Poor breath (halitosis)
- Difficulty fully expanding your mouth
Wisdom teeth may not have enough room to grow due to overcrowding which can cause many problems. Other problems with wisdom teeth include tooth decay and cysts on the jaw bone.
What do to when wisdom teeth start to hurt?
Around ten million people get their wisdom teeth removed yearly in the US. Dentists recommend that these teeth be removed as soon as possible if they are causing pain or other issues, so they do not become a bigger problem later in life. For example, suppose you reside in San Francisco, the thirteenth-largest city in the US and home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and if you need to have your wisdom teeth removed because they are bothering you, you should do so. We advise going to SF oral surgery services; their wisdom teeth removal cost in San Francisco is quite affordable for patients. Their doctors will use X-rays of your mouth to locate the precise location of your wisdom teeth before deciding whether or not to extract them. Your oral surgeon can precisely determine the best course of action for surgery using this information in combination with a thorough mouth examination.
The average person should have four wisdom teeth, but some may only have one or none. It is also common for some people’s teeth to never appear. Wisdom teeth are usually removed by anesthesia. First, the surgeon will numb your mouth with an anesthetic. The tooth will then be cut off at the gum line and pulled out through the opening where it was initially impacted into your mouth. The dentist will then examine your remaining teeth to see if any damage or decay needs repairing before they close up your wound with stitches or glue and cover it with a dressing.
How long does it take for your mouth recover after a wisdom tooth removal?
Once the tooth is removed, it typically takes up to a week to recover, depending on the specific case. During that time, you’ll need to keep your head elevated when you sleep.
After surgery, refrain from eating hard foods or anything crunchy for 24 hours while taking medications as prescribed by your physician. Take ibuprofen if you have any discomfort but be careful not to swallow it with water–this could upset your stomach and worsen symptoms! It’s also vital to drink plenty of fluids. While the stitches heal, avoid biting on one side of your mouth too much so that sores don’t form. Be sure to brush and floss regularly to reduce your risk for oral infections and dry socket, which occurs when food gets trapped under the bone graft and causes a painful infection. It’s normal to see blood in your saliva or phlegm for up to six weeks after surgery!
Types of Impacted wisdom teeth
Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to grow in your mouth. Normally, they come in when you’re in your late teens to early twenties. They are called wisdom teeth because people typically only get them when they are old enough to have accumulated a lot of life experience. It is often considered the age when children become more mature and start making decisions for themselves, so it’s kind of a clever play on words. There are four varieties of impacted wisdom teeth. Each category corresponds to the placement of your teeth:
- The most typical kind is masticatory impaction when your wisdom tooth points forward in your mouth.
- The most uncommon type of impaction, called distal impaction, occurs when your wisdom tooth is tilted toward the back of your mouth.
- When your wisdom teeth are in the ideal position for an eruption but are still buried behind your gums, they are said to be vertically impaction.
- This condition is known as horizontal impaction when your wisdom teeth are totally on their side and buried under your gums. Because they exert excessive pressure on the teeth in front of them, wisdom teeth that are horizontally impacted frequently cause pain.
Are wisdom teeth more likely to get cavities?
Yes, because they don’t come into contact with toothpaste and saliva the same way as the front teeth. Studies have shown that teeth in the back of the mouth, like wisdom teeth, are six times more likely to get cavities than other teeth. In addition, the lack of protection makes it easier for bacteria to form plaque on these teeth and cause decay.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends visiting your dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning—which is as good an opportunity as any to discuss whether or not you should have them removed.
Conclusion
Wisdom teeth can be troublesome, and it’s important to know the facts about them. In this blog post, we talked about five things you didn’t know about wisdom teeth.
Wisdom comes from the ancient Greek word Sophia, which means knowledge. There are four types of wisdom teeth: first molars, second molars, third molars, and fourth premolars, and they come in around the same time, between 17 to 25 years old. Wisdom teeth aren’t necessary for chewing food. They usually come in at a later age than other teeth, and their function is to help push back other teeth that have moved forward over time.
Over 5 million people in the US have their third molars (also known as wisdom teeth) pulled annually, costing over $3 billion. Some dentists recommend removing impacted wisdom teeth as soon as possible, while others say they should be left until they become bothersome.
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