When wisdom teeth (or third molars) start to cause problems due to impaction, the need to extract them can become a pressing one. However, wisdom tooth impaction can occur in many different ways, and the severity of the symptoms aren’t always the same for everyone. In many cases, these symptoms may not be immediately noticeable until the impaction has become severe. Today, we examine a few of the common signs that your wisdom teeth have become impacted, and that you should consider extracting them as soon as possible.
You feel discomfort in your dental ridge
An impacted wisdom tooth can cause discomfort in your dental ridge that might sometimes be mistaken for a toothache, or occur along with aching in a nearby tooth. Believing it to be just a toothache, many people fail to recognize what the discomfort means or when it’s actually originating. Wisdom tooth impaction causes the third molar that’s growing to continue growing, which can cause significant discomfort in the bone structure at the back of your dental ridge. If your toothache originates here, then it may be time to consider extracting your wisdom tooth or teeth before it grows even more intense.
Your other molars are starting to become damaged
In addition to the discomfort an impacted wisdom tooth causes within your dental ridge, the impaction and force of the third molar can also cause structural damage to the nearby molar it pushes against. The force of the growing tooth doesn’t lessen because it has become impacted. If the third molar has become angled in a way that puts the neighboring molar in its path of growth, then it may push against it with enough force to fracture or break the molar. This damage can grow increasingly worse the longer the wisdom tooth remains in your dental ridge, and the rest of your teeth can also begin to feel the impacts.
Other teeth are shifting out of place
While the force of an impacted wisdom tooth can cause significant damage to the teeth nearest to it, the same force can also cause other teeth shift out of place in response. In severe cases of wisdom tooth impaction, this can cause additional problems with the balance and function of your bite, as your upper and lower teeth no longer fit as they’re meant to when you bite and chew. The longer impacted wisdom teeth are allowed to affect the rest of your oral health, the more extensive treatment may need to be in order to repair the damage and restore your healthy smile.
Find out if it’s time for wisdom tooth extraction
If your wisdom teeth have become impacted, then hesitating to extract them can lead to increasingly worse symptoms. To learn more, or to schedule your consultation, call the Texas Institute of OFI Surgery in Midlothian, TX, today at 469-649-8259. We also serve patients who live in Dallas, Mansfield, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Desoto, Red Oak, Waxahachie, Ft. Worth, and all surrounding communities.