How do I know if I need my wisdoms removed?!
Question:
How do I know if I need my wisdoms removed?
I never want to get my wisdoms removed - I find it kind of like "animal cruelty" lol
But I'm seriously considering it now. I have one that is growing in crooked and now its been swollen for 3 days. Painful to chew. How do I know if its infected? Or should I just give it more time for the swelling to go down? I don't really have the money to get them removed now anyway.... Thanx!
Answers:
Third molars or wisdom teeth as they are more commonly known can present a number of problems. They are the last teeth that come out into the mouth. Be that as it may often times insufficient space is available for their eruption. What complicates this more is the varied positions that this tooth.
There is usually a loose tissue surrounding the crown of a partially erupted third molar. Being loose, food debris and bacteria easily lodge themselves underneath. This situation plus the fact that third molars are located far back in the mouth makes it difficult if not impossible to clean. As a result the overlying gum may swell and flare up. this of course becomes a painful condition. As the swelling increases the upper molars eventually come in contact with this painful tissue to further aggravate this agonizing condition.
Additionally, these teeth are very prone to decay since they are difficult to clean. Again as the decay progresses this can give rise to pain on the tooth itself.
As these third molars try to erupt into the oral cavity they can destroy the adjacent tooth with its eruptive force. Destruction of the adjacent bone may also occur. This may later also give rise to painful conditions.
Orthodontists will often ask that these teeth to be removed to provide space for crowding of other teeth in the oral cavity. It is theorized that these teeth are contributory to crowding of teeth.
Painful condition are what usually bring patient to have these teeth removed but there are other non-painful conditions that may arise.
Impacted teeth are known to give rise to development of cysts and tumors. These are often accidentally discovered through routine radiographic (x-ray) examinations done for other purposes. They are painless unless they become infected. They become obvious only when the become large and difficult to manage. The most common benn tumor associated with this is known as an amelobalstoma. The treatment for this is usually removal of the involved portion of the jaw.