A wisdom tooth, or third molar, is the last molar to grow at either end of your upper and lower dental ridges. The four molars typically begin to erupt by the age 17 or 18, when all others have already fully developed. The problem with wisdom teeth is that there is often little room along the dental ridges to accommodate them, which can lead to the molars becoming impacted. When left alone, wisdom tooth impaction can have serious consequences for your oral health, which is why extracting wisdom teeth is usually the best course of action.
Damage to your other teeth
When your wisdom teeth become impacted, they don’t stop trying to erupt, which means they’ll continue forcing themselves against the teeth that are already present. This can lead to increasingly more severe damage to your teeth, which can cause intense discomfort and pave the way for more dental health issues to develop.
Increasing tooth misalignment
As your teeth are subjected to constant pressure from impacted wisdom teeth, the force can cause them to shift out of alignment. The longer your wisdom teeth remain impacted, the more out of alignment the rest of your teeth will become. If you hesitate to remove the impacted wisdom teeth, then you may need orthodontic treatment to bring the rest of your teeth back into proper alignment.
Increased risks of gum disease
Teeth that have become damaged at the gum line or forced out of alignment can develop excessive spaces between their tooth structure and the gums surrounding them. This can allow more harmful bacteria to gather in these spaces, leading to heightened risks of gingivitis (the precursor to gum disease).
Extracting Wisdom Teeth to Avoid the Consequences
Wisdom tooth impaction can cause a number of severe consequences for your oral health. To learn more about extracting them, schedule an appointment by calling the Sunny Smiles dental office nearest you in El Paso, TX, today! We have offices in the East, Northeast, and Westside of El Paso, and happily welcome patients from all nearby communities, including Chaparral, Canutillo, Vinton, and Sunland Park, New Mexico.