Wisdom Tooth Trivia!
- Wisdom teeth are also called 3rd molars
- About 85% of all wisdom teeth will be removed
- Roughly 35% of people are born without wisdom teeth
Our food has changed from uncooked meat, tough vegetables, and other rough foods to modern day delicacies, in other words, a raw steak is easier to eat than trying to tear through uncooked meat.
The issue is that the shape of our mouths and jaw have on average shrunk considerably although our wisdom teeth still try to grow in sometimes. Since humans have such variety, some jaws will fit in wisdom teeth just fine, others will grow wisdom teeth but have them impacted, and you may not even grow them in at all!
On average wisdom teeth will grow in between the ages of 17-25, if you’re in this age group, these symptoms may mean your wisdom teeth need to go, even if you can’t see them yet.
Why do I need my wisdom teeth removed?
Complications of wisdom teeth
- Damage to other teeth – They may push against and damage your second molars.
- Cysts – The wisdom tooth can develop a sac, which may become pus-filled.
- Decay – Wisdom teeth are difficult to clean and may decay faster than other teeth.
- Gum disease – Same as decay, your gums may be damaged as well.
Causes of the complications of wisdom teeth
- Grows in at angle towards the second molar
- Angled toward back of mouth
- Grows in at a right angle
- Grows in normally but doesn’t erupt
oral Pain
Sinus problems
Headaches
Swollen Inflamed Gums
Gums are very sensitive to irritation, if you’re paying attention to how your gums are feeling they can tell you a lot. If your gums are swollen for seemingly no reason, you should always see the dentist regardless. However, if you meet the criteria for wisdom tooth being the issue, then you must not procrastinate. Generally speaking, if wisdom teeth are impacted, they only get worse, if it’s painful now, you might not experience much relief until they are extracted.
Bad Breath (halitosis)
Facial Swelling
Bleeding Gums
The hard truth
It will probably never go away, if you’re just starting to experience it, chances are it will stay the same, get worse.
If you must use temporary solutions, you can attempt to try these options:
- Cold compress – Will numb the area and may decrease swelling
- Advil & other meds – May relieve some pain, if it’s severe this will not work
- Head elevated – This will remove pressure from your head be keeping blood away.
It depends on how bad they are. If it’s a simple extraction, it might be less than $200. However, it may require the dentist to do actual surgery on the gums if they are impacted or haven’t erupted.
If the dentist doesn’t see a reason to remove them and they don’t cause you discomfort or irritation, then no!
There may be no significant pain, but they still might need to be removed. There’s a possibility that they aren’t causing any pain now, but will cause immense pain in the future.
