By the time wisdom tooth impaction becomes a severe problem, the symptoms related to it can be unmistakable. For example, the discomfort in your dental ridge can become severe, and you may feel a part of the wisdom tooth trying to erupt from the gum line (though unsuccessfully). However, when wisdom teeth first become impacted, the problem may not be an obvious one, and failure to notice it could allow the problem to get worse before you address it. Today, we examine a few ways you may be able to tell if your wisdom teeth have become impacted, preferably before the problem becomes much more severe.
The back of your dental ridge starts to hurt
Your wisdom teeth are technically known as your third molars because they’re the third, and last, set of permanent molars to develop. When wisdom teeth become impacted, it’s often because there is little room at the end of the dental ridges to allow them to grow comfortably. Because of this, one of the earliest signs that your wisdom tooth is impacted is pain or sensitivity in the back of your dental ridge. The level of this discomfort depends on several factors, including how severely impacted the tooth is and how much the tooth has affected the surrounding oral structures.
Your teeth start to feel out of alignment
Whether or not you feel the pain of a wisdom tooth becoming impacted, the consequences of the force it exposes your other teeth to can become increasingly more noticeable over time. For instance, as an impacted wisdom tooth tries to grow and erupt, it can force the molars that are close to it out of alignment. In turn, this can force other teeth to shift, and you may begin to feel that your teeth and bite are no longer aligned the way they used to be. This problem will grow increasingly worse, leading to subsequent problems such as bite issues and damage to your other healthy, natural teeth.
One or more other molars become damaged
In addition to being forced out of alignment, the molars that are closest to your impacted wisdom teeth can be subject to the most pressure from the impaction. This can cause the molar to become fractured or broken under the intense pressure, adding to the discomfort at the end of your dental ridge. This can also lead to a need for more extensive treatment to restore your good oral health by the time you have your impacted wisdom teeth extracted.
Learn if your wisdom teeth are impacted
Wisdom tooth impaction can cause several different problems with your oral health, which may also serve as warnings that you need to have them extracted. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
