Your wisdom teeth are the final teeth to come in as your smile develops. Most people are in their late teens or early twenties when their wisdom teeth finally attempt to emerge. Unfortunately, wisdom teeth can lead to a number of oral health issues and cosmetic problems. Today our Orland Park dentists are explaining some of the ways in which wisdom teeth can affect your smile. Let’s get started!
Many wisdom-tooth-related issues arise because the patient’s mouth does not have enough room to house these third molars. It’s important to understand this underlying structural dysfunction, because it truly leads to a host of other oral health problems.
Occasionally, wisdom teeth are able to emerge up through the gum tissue, like other teeth. However, often wisdom teeth become compacted, which means they are stuck in the patient’s jaw and gum tissues. Compacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, tightness, and discomfort in the back of the patient’s smile.
Wisdom teeth that are able to only partially break through the patient’s gum tissue become susceptible to infection. Because it is difficult for patients to effectively clean their third molars, wisdom teeth tend to accumulate bacteria, which leads to cavity and gum disease development. This can also cause chronic bad breath. Infected wisdom teeth, if left untreated, can eventually lead to jaw tissue deterioration.
Emerging wisdom teeth may also alter your existing dental alignment. Many wisdom teeth come in at add angles—horizontally, slantwise, etc. This puts pressure on your other permanent teeth, and can cause your existing smile to shift and become crowded. It is important to remove problematic wisdom teeth promptly in order to prevent this type of dental re-alignment.
Our Orland Park wisdom teeth dentists are here to help you determine whether your wisdom teeth are problematic, and, if so, what to do about them. Please feel free to reach out to our dental team by phone or through the Contact Us page on our website with any questions you may have!