Wisdom teeth (also known as third molars) are the last of your teeth to come in, and most likely to be impacted. This is due to all of your other teeth coming in and establishing their positions in our mouths. Very little room is left to accommodate the wisdom teeth. Most people have four wisdom teeth, one in each corner of the mouth- two on top, two on bottom.
Infected, impacted teeth need to be extracted quickly, because the longer you wait, the longer the tooth roots grow. The risk of complication due to extraction may increase because the tooth roots may interfere with sensitive facial nerves. Also, any impacted tooth will apply pressure on the arch of your smile that may cause unnecessary crowding of your teeth. An impacted tooth below the gum surface may erode the roots of adjacent teeth. An impacted tooth above the gum line may create a “food trap” that is difficult to brush or floss and is likely to lead to decay.
Your Greatwood dentist can help identify if you have impacted teeth and the procedures available.