The wisdom tooth or third molar is generally the last tooth to erupt in the oral cavity. Many people face issues with their wisdom teeth as in several cases, the tooth is impacted and is the cause of tremendous pain. It is important to notice the warning signs of a troublesome wisdom tooth. Some people may experience continuous pain while some may have pain only while eating or touching that particular tooth.
Causes
● Impacted wisdom teeth might be because of insufficient space availability for tooth eruption.
● The mouth is too crowded for the normal eruption of wisdom teeth.
Symptoms
It is not necessary that impacted teeth may always cause symptoms. But, if it shows signs of infections, then there might be the presence of signs and symptoms like-
● Swollen or red gums
● Tender and bleeding gums
● Swelling around the jaw
● Pain in jaw
● Halitosis or bad breath
● A peculiar and unpleasant taste in the mouth
● Trismus or difficulty in mouth opening
Treatment
The dentist examines the wisdom tooth and takes an x-ray. After visualizing the x-ray, the dentist will suggest the best possible treatment plan. It might include:
Medications
The dentist may advise antibiotics to clear the infection present in the wisdom tooth. It is usually advisable to take it at least a week before getting the tooth removed or repaired. It helps in healing the infection and prevents the further spread of infection. If the patient suffers from pain, then the dentist may also prescribe pain medications.
Conservative Approach
Once the infection is treated, the dentist may have a good look and decide on the removal of the tooth of a conservative approach that might help in saving the tooth. The cavity can be filled which helps in avoiding trapping of food and curbing bacterial growth.
Removal
If the tooth is not salvageable, then the dentist might decide to remove the tooth. Minor dental surgery is required to remove the infected wisdom tooth. This helps in reducing the further spread of infection.
It is difficult to prevent the occurrence of impaction of wisdom tooth but it is advisable to do a regular dental check-up at least twice a year. This allows the dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of the third molar and help in preventing any complications.