Blog

Most people go through the extreme discomfort of feeling their wisdom teeth erupting. In most cases, there aren’t any severe consequences, and life goes on, but there are those cases when you might have to remove them should the pain affect your everyday life. Read on to learn more about wisdom teeth and your oral health.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

As you grow through different stages of life, various types of teeth erupt, from milk teeth to wisdom teeth. Between 17 and 25, your last adult teeth grow in the back of your mouth. Another name for them is third molars.

In most cases, they grow without causing severe oral complications. However, there are instances when they can affect your gums and lead to jawbone misalignment. Impacted wisdom teeth might not develop properly and get stuck in your gums, resulting in infection, gum disease and related oral health concerns.

As a result, most dentists advise that you remove them. It’s also important to note that not everyone will develop wisdom teeth, and it’s completely normal. Additionally, taking care of them can help avoid several complications if they erupt.

Benefits of Keeping Wisdom Teeth

There are some benefits when you decide to keep your wisdom teeth. These include:

• Providing your surrounding molars with more stability to ensure strength.
• It can prevent overcrowding in some parts of your mouth, providing more space for improved chewing and an oral hygiene routine.
• They increase the necessary surface area to grind more food without stressing your jawline or damaging existing molars.
• They may safeguard existing teeth against plaque buildup and cavities.
• Keeping your wisdom teeth can also improve your facial structure and prevent a misaligned jaw that might require orthodontic treatments like braces to fix.

Disadvantages of Keeping Wisdom Teeth

While keeping your wisdom teeth might provide oral health benefits, the following disadvantages should not be overlooked:

• They may cause overcrowding if your jaw doesn’t have enough space when they erupt.
• Your existing teeth might become crooked, leading to misaligned dental issues such as an overbite.
• The lack of space can make it challenging to maintain proper oral hygiene, which increases your risk of developing gum disease.
• Infection-causing bacteria can lead to cysts or tumours that cause pain and discomfort if not surgically removed.
• If they don’t erupt simultaneously, there may be uneven pressure on the jawline that could lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

How to Care for Your Wisdom Teeth

It’s important to understand that not everyone requires their wisdom to be removed. It’s common for people to keep their wisdom teeth and not experience any oral health complications. Removal is primarily recommended if they cause you pain or severe jawline damage.

A regular dentist visit should help care for your wisdom teeth. This is what you should also consider:

• Even though reaching the back of your teeth is difficult, you should brush them at least twice daily.
• Use dental floss or dental picks at least once daily.
• Make sure you use an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash to reduce the risk of dry mouth.
• Practice healthy habits by cutting down on sugar, smoking and eating well.
• Use a mouth guard to prevent grinding and clenching your teeth while sleeping.

Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth that don’t erupt properly can lead to mild to severe complications such as damage to neighbouring teeth, infection and cavities. Knowing when you have impacted wisdom teeth for immediate dental care is important. Common symptoms include:

• Intense jaw pain.
• Tender and swollen gums.
• Bleeding gums.
• Bad breath.
• Swelling around parts of your jaw.
• Difficulty opening your mouth.
• An unpleasant taste in your mouth if there’s a pus-filled growth.

Getting your wisdom teeth is part of the growth process, and it shouldn’t worry you, even though it might cause temporary discomfort for a few days or weeks. The only concern is when they’re impacted, which can lead to oral infections and overcrowding of the space in your jawline. If you are on the Affinity Dental Gold or Platinum plan, you can use your Impaction Benefit when removing your wisdom teeth.