Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, California

The wisdom teeth are the third molars in the very back of the mouth that usually surface between the ages of 17 and 25. Most people have four wisdom teeth with two on the top and two on the bottom. The wisdom teeth may become impacted if they do not have enough room to surface.

Impacted wisdom teeth may cause several problems including:

• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Pain
• Damaged teeth

Wisdom teeth do not always cause problems right away, but they are vulnerable to several dental problems and disease. Wisdom teeth that are not causing problems are removed to prevent any future problems from developing.

Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Impacted wisdom teeth may not cause problems. You may experience symptoms if your impacted wisdom teeth form an infection, cause tooth decay, or damage your other teeth. The symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth that you may experience include:

• Pain around the wisdom teeth
• Irritation of the gums
• Swollen or red gums
• Gums that are tender or bleeding
• Bad breath
• Headaches
• Unpleasant taste in your mouth

If you experience any of these symptoms, you will want to schedule a consultation with Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kevin Sands to discuss the removal of your wisdom teeth. By seeing Dr. Sands for your routine dental check-ups and updated x-rays, you are ensuring that impacted wisdom teeth will be caught before they cause you any pain or other dental problems.

Causes of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth become impacted when there is not enough room for them to surface. Some people have plenty of room in their mouths for their wisdom teeth to come in normally behind their second molars. Most people, however, do not have enough room to accommodate third molars and they become impacted in the gums.

Impacted wisdom teeth can either be partially impacted or fully impacted. Partially impacted wisdom teeth show the top portion of the tooth through the gum line while fully impacted wisdom teeth do show any portion of the tooth.

The wisdom teeth can surface in many different directions that may cause them to become impacted. Wisdom teeth that surface up and down as normal teeth do may become impacted because there is not enough room for them to surface. The other ways wisdom teeth may surface and become impacted are:

• The wisdom teeth may surface at an angle and push against the second molar
• The wisdom teeth may surface at an angle facing the back of the mouth
• The wisdom teeth may surface parallel to the gum line and perpendicular to the other teeth

If you believe your wisdom teeth are impacted and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sands, please contact our Beverly Hills cosmetic dentistry office serviing patients in and around the Los Angeles, California area.