Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog
What You Need To Know About Wisdom Teeth
Duane Kelly
If your back teeth are aching, then you probably need to have a wisdom tooth extraction. Few people know that there are special molars that are the last teeth to develop in an adult. Read on to learn what wisdom teeth are, when they should be extracted and the wisdom tooth extraction process.
What are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth refer to the last teeth in your dental arch. Sometimes, people experience a dull throbbing behind their jaws when wisdom teeth are erupting. Most wisdom teeth erupt in early adulthood. In some people, the wisdom teeth never develop. There are even people who have over four wisdom teeth. In some cases, the wisdom teeth cannot be seen because they have not erupted normally through a person's gums.
When Should Wisdom Teeth Be Extracted?
When your wisdom tooth has erupted properly without affecting your adjacent tooth, then you can retain it as long as you are able to clean it. However, if the wisdom tooth has erupted partially and caused an infection or inflammation, it should be extracted. A growth develops over partially erupted wisdom teeth and is called an operculum. When bacteria are trapped under this growth, an infection referred to as pericoronitis starts to develop.
Pericoronitis is the leading cause for wisdom tooth extraction and occurs when there is insufficient room for the teeth in your lower jaw. The symptoms of pericoronitis are bad taste, pain on your back teeth, pus oozing from your back teeth and an inflammation of the gum tissue. The infection may lead to the swelling of your cheeks or areas near the affected jaw.
The wisdom tooth may erupt in a way that makes it difficult to clean the adjacent molar. In some cases, wisdom teeth cause gum recession near the adjacent tooth or periodontal pockets because of the way they are positioned. In such cases, the wisdom tooth has to be extracted before the other molars are damaged. If you have an infection, swelling, fever, difficulty breathing or swallowing, the wisdom teeth need to be extracted immediately.
Procedure For Extracting Wisdom Teeth
Your dentist will administer local anesthesia to numb the area. A surgery will be conducted where the bone and tissue surrounding the tooth will be removed to allow the dentist to properly remove the tooth from its socket. Several stitches will be made to seal off the site and enable the affected tissue to heal quickly. For more information, contact a business such as Now Dental.
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You may have heard that cavities and oral decay are linked to things like heart disease, and, in fact, your oral health affects your entire body. Hi! My name is Brenda, and I like to look at things holistically. Because of that, I created this blog. I plan for its posts to look at the link between dental issues and other health issues. I hope that the people who visit this blog learn a few tips about oral care as well as gaining a deeper understanding of why it's so important. Healthy smiles indicate a healthy body, and I hope this blog helps you achieve both!