What is Wisdom Tooth? Do I have to see a dentist for my wisdom tooth?
Have you ever felt a jolt of pain coming from the back part of your mouth? If your answer is yes, the pain might just originate from your impacted wisdom tooth. Before we discuss wisdom tooth impaction, let us get to know more about the wisdom tooth itself.
Everybody has 4 wisdom teeth, which are usually referred to as the ‘third molar’. Wisdom teeth usually start developing during adolescence (the early 20s). Under normal circumstances, wisdom teeth erupt normally, just like any other molars, causing no problem. However, in most cases, there is no room for the wisdom teeth to grow, causing wisdom tooth impaction to occur.
Despite having no room, the wisdom tooth will continue to erupt, causing several complications such as, but not limited to:
- Pain
- Swelling of the gums, which indicates the presence of infection.
- Abrasion of the neighbouring tooth (2nd molar) due to the pressure exerted by the wisdom tooth.
- Tooth decay due to crowding, leaving tiny gaps between teeth.
- Formation of a cyst, which may develop into a tumour.
Most often than not, patients will opt to get their wisdom teeth removed when they are experiencing pain. However, many chose to remove them earlier as the process is made simple when the teeth have not fully developed. Others also have their wisdom teeth removed before doing braces to create more room for the realignment of the other teeth.
