There are some things that good hygiene and preventive dental care may not be able to help you avoid, and wisdom tooth impaction is one of them. Also referred to as your third molars, wisdom teeth are the last ones to erupt from your gum line. Unfortunately, they often don’t have room to erupt fully and properly, and instead, they become obstructed by the second molars already present. To avoid the problems that impacted wisdom teeth can cause, including tooth damage, pain, and forced misalignment, your dentist might recommend extracting your wisdom teeth. If they’ve already begun to cause problems, then extracting your wisdom teeth could be the only way to alleviate those problems and save your oral health.
Dealing with Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Why Extraction Is the Best Option
The problem with impacted wisdom teeth is that being obstructed doesn’t stop them from developing and trying to erupt. As they continue to push against your other teeth, the molars can damage the ones closest to them and force the nearby teeth out of alignment. This can lead to problems with your bite, including bruxism and TMJ disorder, as well as increased risks of chronic dental diseases like tooth decay and gum disease. All of this is in addition to the severe discomfort that wisdom tooth impaction can cause, which will grow worse the longer the molars are left in place. By extracting them, your dentist can also restore any damage or misalignment that your impacted wisdom teeth may have caused.
Remove Troublesome Third Molars
Extracting wisdom teeth can save you from a host of subsequent dental problems, which is why your dentist may suggest extracting them before they become troublesome. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Michael J. Young, DDS, in Lafayette, LA, today at 337-237-6453.